CAPOEIRA

CONDITIONING
How t o bui ld st rength, agi lity,
and cardiovascular f itness using
capoei ra movement s

Gerard Taylor
Photography by Anders Kjaergaard

BLUE SNAKE BO O KS
Bt riu:leY7 Ca lifor nia
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Library o f Consrc"s Ca laloging -in. Publk ation Data

Taylor, Gerard , 19 60-

Capocira con d itio nin g : how to build str engt h, agility, and cardiovascular
firness using capoe ira move me nts / by Gerard Taylo r ; pho tography by Ande rs
Kjaerga ard.
p. em.
ISB,S 158 394 14 1-X ( pbk.)
1. Cepoe ira {Dancej-e-Trainin g. 2. Exercise. 1. Titl e.
GV1796.Cl45T382oo5
79 3.3 ' I981-dc22
2005028921
C1P
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 UNIT f.D 11 10 09 08 07 ne
This book is dedicated to the memory of Derek Taylor, who to
my knowledge never did a single worko ut in his whole life, but
sure as hcU knew how to write.
 Acknow ledgme nts

I' d like to th ank T ina, Marit, and Axe, all formados o f O slo Capocira
Klubb, for th eir patience and hard wo rk wh ile we were putting this
book together. H ug e th anks to Sue and Anders for co mmu tin g
betwe en Lo ndon and Oslo with unusual rcgul ariry to take the ph o-
tos , answer bombardment s of e-mails, uncover discrepan cies, and
amazingly, all remain friends at the end o f it .
Acknowledgment to Yvonne Cardenas ofNorth Atlantic Boo ks
for proj ect coordina tin g, encourage me nt, and making the co py -
editing process a painle ss experie nce. "Tusen till" to Rud Vid e-
regdende Skole for providing the stud io.
D iscl aimer: I ndi vid uals sho uld consult with t heir healt h care pr ovider
before embarking on an exercise program. Any applicatio n o f the material
set forth in the following pages is at th e reader's discretion and is Ius o r her
sole responsib ility.
 Contents

Chapter 1:

Capoeira Conditioning: What It Is

and Why It's Good for You ,
Strength and Flexib ility Capoeira Sty le . . . . . . . .. . -t
W hat Is Capoel ra Condit io ning ? ,
Condit io ning f or Capoe ira " Fit ness " 2.

Tot al Fitness 4-

W ho Is Capo eira Co nd it io ning Fo r ? 4

The Fat -Burni ng Po w er of H igh- Inte n sit y

Inte rval Train ing a

Chap ter 2:

The Training . . .. 19

Co re Moveme nt s . . . 19
W orko ut M enu 23

7 lf2-Miomc Capoci ra Cond itioning

Maintenance Wo rko uts 24-

Th e Next St age 26

Trai ning Game: " Capoeira Fartt ek" _. . . .. . 27

15-.M.in ute Capo eira Conditioni ng

Aero bic Sessions 29

30-, 4 5-, and 60 -Minute Capo cira

Conditio ning Sessions. . 31
Chapter 3:

The Exercises 33

T raining Effec ts Chart 34

1. Cocorinha (statio nary) . . . 36
2. Cocorinha Variati ons 38
3. Cocorinha (squat) ,., , 40

4 . Ginga (basic capoeira footwor k) 42

5. Ginga with a Reverse Tw ist

at th e Wa ist 44
6. Ginga w it h a Full Twist at t he Waist 46
7. Ginga wit h Cocori nha Squat 48
8. W rist Rotat ion so
9. Cabecada (sta t ic pos t ure) S'
10. Reverse Wrist Press Against the Wa ll. . . . . .. S"4
11. W rist Stretch Against the W all . . . . . . s6
12. Basic Bridge Wa rm-U p 58
13. Basic Forward Bend 60
14. Ponte ( back bridge) 6'
15. Back Bridge ( hee ls raised) 64
16. Back Bridge (ass isted stretch ) 66
17- Adva nce d Back Bridge
(wit h leg raised) 68
18 . Back Bridge Push-Ups. . . . .. . . 70
19. One-Arm ed Bridge ( push-up opt ional) 7'

20. No Cheat Bridge 74

21. Wa ll Wh eel Bridg e 76
22. Bridge Wa lking 78
2-3. Esq uiva La tera l . . . . . . . . . 80
24. Au W arm-Up 82.
25. Au Norm al (cart w heel) 84
26. Au walkbeck 86
27. Au Push- U ps . . . 88
28. Au Pist o ls 90

29. Negat iv a Lateral. ..N

30. Moenda wi th Crown of the Head
on th e Floor 94
31, Moenda o n t he Hand s 96
32. Qu eda de Quatm-Chapa 98
33. Planta nda Ba na neira ( ha ndst a nd).. . .1 0 0
34 . Bananeria Push-Up 102

35. Bananeira Leg Stretch 10 4

36. Queda de Rins 10 6

37. Leg Stret ch Push-U ps -oa

38. Side Split Twist s . . . 110

39. Leg and Low er Back Stretch 112

40. Cobra Running . '" . ... , .. . 114

41. Ben<;ao 116

Cha pter 4 :

Q u estions an d Answers " 9

Abo ut th e Autho r . . . . . . 125

 Chapter 1

Capoeira Conditioning:
What It I s and Why It's
Good for You

Strength and Flexibility

Ca poe ira Styl e
Capocira is one o f th e be st all-around strength, flexibility, and aer -
o bic exer cise system s o n the planet. Capocira gives all the muscle:
groups of the body a vigoro us workout . A person who becomes fir
through capoei ra move m ent gain s a well-integrated , coord inated
m uscu lature , o p tim al aerobic capacit y, and Jean , me an cat- like
strength an d flexibility.

What Is Capoeira Co nd iti o ning?

Because it is easy to use words like "fitness," "flexibility," "condition-
ing," and so o n in a very loose way, it is use ful to d efin e so me of
the t erm s to explain wh at t hey mean in the con text of capoeira
training . First, when we calk abo ut "condi tioning" he re, it applies
to t he consistent, all-year-round application of spor t -specific phys-
ical stress to create a body " co nd it io ned" to the demand s o f the
Brazilian art/spo rt of capo eira.

1
CA P O E I RA CO N D I TIO N I N G

Condi tio ning in sports trai ning is used wh en trai ner s refer to
exercises done in addition to the actual practice of the sport involved.
For examp le, a football player who trains with weigh ts and sprints
is "conditio ning" his body for playin g football. It is a rare athlete
tod ay who trains for th eir spo rt solely by doing the sport itself, and
mos t spo rts trainin g involves so me level o f co ndi tioni ng training.

Condi ti o ni ng for Capoei ra " Fit ness"

"Fitness" is commonly used in the popul ar media and modern lan-
guage to describe a general state of well-being and health . In sports
it is ofte n more nar row ly d efined . I n thi s co nte xt fitness relates
specifi cally to a spo rt and a set of physical ab ilities or skills. A sub -
2.13 marat hon ru nner is no r " fit" to deadlift 600 pounds of iro n,
and a world- class power lifter is not "fit" to run a sub-z x-mi nurc
10,000 meters . Using our narrow defi n ition , neither athlete would
be "fi t" to perform any number of movements on the gymnastics
balance beam. The Olympic gymnast wo uld no t be " fit" to r sumo
wrestling, and so forth.
When we talk of " to tal" fi tness, this must en compass a set of
necessary com ponents so tha t the ter m " total" is not meanin gless
hyperbole. T he range of skills and functions that would have to be
includ ed for total fitness are:
Strength. Stre ng th is a muscle's ability to contract against the
resistance of an external object (a weight) o r o ne's own body weight.
P o wer. Slight ly d iffere nt from strength , power relat es to (he
abso lute mu scu lar co nt ract io n ach ieved in a dyna mic explo sion
o f mo vemen t such as a high jump, a kick, or a lift. Po wer utilizes
str en gth wit hin an explosive burst of en ergy.
Agility. Agility is often co nfused with flexibility although it's a
different thing. Agility en co mpasses th e possib ility of execu t ing
 c apo et r e Cond it io n ing : W hat It I s an d Wh y I t' s Good f or You l

power movem ents in rapidly changing directions . I magine an acro-

bat per fo rming forward and back saltos in quick co m bination , a
football player sprin ting between opposing players, or a capoeirista
weaving in and out o f the other's ga me to the rhythm of m usic.
Balance. The close cousin of agility, balance involves one's mill -
cular contro l o f the bo dy position , either statica lly (as in a hand-
stand ) or kinesth e tically (fo r example , con trol and balance of the
positio n ofvolunra ry muscles and the who le bod y during an acro-
batic movement) .
Flexibility. The Oxfo rd Dictionary definition of tlexiblc is: "able
to be nd with o ut br ea king; pliable; pl ian t. " The dic t ionar y also
defines " flexile" as " supple or mo bile ." In terms of o ur total fit-
ness paradigm, th ere art: differen t type s of flexibility.
Dynamic flex ibility, also known as kinetic flexibility, enco mpasses
an ab ility to pe rform dynam ic (kinetic) muscu lar movem ent s of a
lim b th ro ugh the fullest range of motion possible in relatio n to th e
join ts. Sraric-active fle xibility allo ws for first assu min g and th en
maintaining extended po sitio ns o f a limb while using on ly the rn us-
clcs of o ne 's bod y and no external ap paratu s. Sraric-passivc flexi-
bility allows one to assu me positio ns o f the limbs (fo r instance, side
splits) and ho ld the m using body weight, th e limbs. an d an cxrer -
ual apparatu s (in the case ofside splits, th e floo r).
If you hold your leg up to your ear, without using your hands ,
t hat is static -active flexibility; if yo u ho ld it in th is positi on with
yo ur hand, thi s is st atic-pass ive flexibility ; an d if yo u kick th e leg
u p th rough a sim ilar range of motion ) this is dynamic or kinetic
flexib ility.
Card iovascul a r En d u rance. T his is th e heart 's ability to circu -
late blood to m uscles during stre nuo us ph ysical activi ty, an d the
m uscles' fitness to use th e blood circulated via th e blood vessels.
"Cardio " mean s hea rt , and " vascular" means blood vessels . T he
 CA POE IRA CON D I TI O NING

vascular system includes arterie s, veins , and capillaries , which will

be d iscussed late r.
Coordin at io n . T his is the state o f integratio n of all the o ther
co mponents into a single fun ctional package SO tha t grace, economy
of movem ent , and physical efficiency are achieved at a high level.

Total Fitness
This is a spor t -specific conditioning program for capo eira sui t-
a ble for capoeira pl ayers and non-capoeira player s al ike.
T h e reaso n wh y a spo rt -specific conditioning program fo r
capo cira is so very effective is beca use the ga me o f capoe ira devel-
ops all " the big 7" of a tota l f itness regime: stre ngth , power, agility,
balan ce , flexibility, cardiovascul ar e nd uran ce, and coord ina tion .
This is why I fclt justified writing, "Capoeira is one of the best all -
around strengt h , flexibili ty, and ae ro b ic exerc ise syste ms on th e
plane r." Because it is, fro m whichever ang le one loo ks at it.

Jogo: Gam e
Roda: Circle w here cepoeira is played
Rep: Repetitions o f a particular exer cise

Set: A group of repeti t ions of a particu lar exercise

Who Is Ca poe ira Conditionin g Fo r?

The short answer is everybody. Capceira is for women and men, boys
and girls, young and old , fit and present ly thinkin g of becoming fit.
This book is designed. to provide exercises that are based purely on the
m ovements of capoci ra. This means that the bod y is "conditioned "
for actuall y playing the game of capocira and is also co nditioned for
the game of life fo r th ose who are not capoeira players.
 cepo eire Co nd it ion i ng: Wh at It Is and W hy It' s Good f or You 5

Cap oeira conditio ning will wo rk. effecti vely for people who have
never done capoeira but would like to use these capoeira tr aini ng
mo vem en ts to get in th e best shape of th eir lives.
"Really! " you may be askin g, "T he best sha pe of my life?"
By doing these simp le capoeira condition ing exercises, you can
develop and maint ain a high level o f useable fitn ess for everyday
livin g. If you are lo oki ng for a capoeira clu b and intend to ge t in
shape prio r to sta rting, this book is also for yo u.
Athle tes and firn ess enth usiasts in a wide range o f spo rts will
find these exercises highly be neficial fo r loo sening up the tightness
sometimes cause d by spo r ts tr aining . T he rhythm ic and physical
compo nen ts of capoeira conditioning arc pe rfect for cress-training.
M.me Ga rrinc ha, Pele's legendar y contemporar y o n the Brazilian
national soccer team , had ama zing "jogo de cin tura" (agility of his
waist) and d ribbling skills o ften said to derive fro m his practi ce of
capoerra.
T hese exercises arc a very usefu l tool for people who already do
capoeira and wo uld like to stay in great co ndition when traveling or
otherwise not able to attend regular classes for on e reason or another.
Anyone who docs capccira will know how dispiriting ir can be enter-
ing th e ro da after tim e away. because the body feels heavy, the feet
are slow, and coordination has decreased . To maintain year-ro und
fitne ss for th e game eve n du ring enforced tim e off, these exercises
provide a soluti on . Many can also be applied to stay in shape while
recuperating from injury, so a player can choose specific exercises to
train while giving an injured body area a rest.
Capoeira co ndi tio ning is a capocira " fitness pill" to take daily to
ensure the machine (th at is, your body) is read y to play th e game of
capoeira or life anyti me, anyp lace, 365 d ays a year.
It shou ld be stressed that you can't learn capoeira fro m a book.
Th at is a basic truth .
6 CA POE IRA C O ND I T I O N I N G

To learn the holistic art form, mu sic, stra tegies, and philosophy,
an individual will n eed a qu alified teacher and fellow students to
p lay t he game with . Yet if you follow the se gu ide lines yo u can use
this book to transform yo urself into someone with th e " pan th er-
like" fi tness and physical conditio n o ra capoeira player, even ifY01~

don -'t know how to do capoeira.

Please note that even th ough all th e exercises in capoeira co n-
ditioning are safe and tried and tested , it is a sensible idea befo re
embarking O Il any exercise program to consult yo ur ph ysician and
discuss what yo u're going to do. This is particularly tr ue ifyou have
received treatmen t fo r problems with yo ur vertebrae or arc p resen tly
wo rking with an osteo path or chiropractor for any spinal or neck
injuries.

How M uch T ime Will You N eed to Spend

on T hese Exercises?
Peo ple often overestimate th e length of rime that is need ed to get
into gre at conditio n. This is in so me ways the legacy of the maratho n
ru n ning revo lut io n o f t he past" q uarter century, which basically
in volved running lon g distances incredi bly slowly. It is not the inren -
rion here to kn ock ru nning, which is an excellent exercise, fun, (and
to tally free ). It is not, unfortun ately, a par ticularly well-ba lanced
exercise. Yes, our ancesto rs ran long distances. though not on con -
crete and ta rmac.
T he jo gging or marat hon boom, even the mass-parti cipatio n
fun -run and 10k m ini-bo om, often meant at least half an ho ur of
run nin g every day, with a reg ular on e- to two -hour "Long Steady
Dista nce" (LSD ) run on Sunday mornin g . Sp eak to any runner
long enough and yo u'll be treated to a compendiu m of past injuries
th at re ads like a logbook from th e accide n r and eme rgency ward.
Curr en tly, a lot o f people are extremely busy and want to build
 c apc etee Co nd itio n i ng : What It Is a nd W hy It's Good fo r You 7

overR-lt fitn ess without having to use vast amounts o f tim e o r ru n -

nin g great distan ces, Capoeira co nditio nin g is a more well-rounded
solution .
It can also effectively replace a run on a rest d ay and provide a
brilliant cross-training session [Q utilize the m uscles in a co mpletely
new and refreshing way to help avoid th e repetitive stress inju ries
o ften assoc iated with running .
T he ru nning boom was close ly foll owed by a weight-trainin g
boom , whic h has also re sulted in people spendin g large: am o un ts
of time: in th e gym effec tively doin g nothing but looking in the
mirror while they wait for their muscles to recover betwee n sets .
Most' fitness enthusiasts have been there-pushi ng the iro n , wait -
ing d istractedly for th ose stu bbo rn varmints to grow, and standing
paricnrly in line hoping ro ge t a shot at th e peck deck so me time
befor e the end of the next century, Any exercise system tha t involves
spending more time standing in line feeling impatient than train -
ing needs ;I rethink and so me fine-tuning .

Tra in Smart, N ot Long.

Did yo u kn o w that Roger Bann ister cracked the 4-m inut e miJe on
half-hour training sessions t hree o r four tim es a week ? H e did thi s
to fi t his wo rld record trai ning in with his university stud ies. Even
when he decided to increase his workload for t he fina l push in break-
ing through o ne of athletic s' greates t barri ers, he jogged 10 min -
ute s to the local track, knocked off ten 400 -me tc r sprint intervals
of around 60 seconds each, with two minutes' rest in between . A 10-
minute jog back to th e hospital saw the wh ole session finished in
48 minutes, leaving him 12 minutes to eat his lun ch o ut ofan ho ur 's
lunch break. Did yo u know th at D r. Franco C olumbo wo n a Mr.
O lympia title on just a fraction of th e g)'lTI tim e used by his co mpeti-
tors so tha t it wo uldn 't disrupt his chiropractic stu dies! T hese wer e
8 ( A P OE IR A C O N D IT IO NI N G

competi tors who trained smart rath er than long and th is is th e way
man y people wo uld rather tra in in tod ay's world.
Most people spe nd ti me ju ggling various di fferent acti vit ies,
multitasking , o ften com mu ting, attempting to devote quality time
to family, and so forth. Have you ever tried to justify that two-h our
run or tr ip to the gym to a stressed -o ut partner who really doesn't
unde rstand exactly why a six-pa ck rakes preced ence o ver fam ily life
o r an occasional me al to gethe r? And yet you've been behind the
desk all day and if you don't sweat o ut so me of that ene rgy soon
yo u know yo u're going to explode!
Capocira co nditioning can be fitted easily into a co rner o f the
day an d will have you glistening with sweat' and pumping oxygen-
infu sed blo od in JS minu tes flat . N o o ne even needs to know it
ever happe ned . Yo u' ll be ready for a shower and em rela x and get
on wit h yo ur life co nfident t hat training-wise, to day was m ission
acco mplished. Th at 's a promise.
Yo u'll experience a whole body workout and the re is no down-
time. You can do a very effective co nditio ning sessio n in as little as
IS minutes o f active training . To marry people this so unds unreal-
istic, and yet it's completely logical! All you need is a shift in con -
scio usness as to whe ther all t hat LSD o r " m ir ro r-time " is rcnllv
necessar y.

The Fat-Burning Power of High -

Intensity Inter val Trai ning
In a th ree-week study conducted at McMaster University in Canada
by Profe ssor Martin Gibala, twen ty -three ind ividuals we re th or-
oughl y tested fo r diffe re nt fitn ess regimes. O ne group cycled for
tWO ho urs at a moderate , easy pace. The second group did 10 min-
ures of cycling per training session, includin g a few 60-sccond bursts.
 cep ce tre Co nd it i o n i n g : Wh at It Is and W hy It 's Go od fo r You 9

The third g ro up went flat o ut for just fou r s o-second periods , inter-
spersed with a 4-mi nute res t between each burst .
So th e d ifferenti ated tra ining was o f a two -hour d uration fo r
o ne gro up , a In-minute duratio n fo r another, an d a z-minure active
duratio n for th e thi rd .
At the beginning, eac h participan t did an I x.c -mile cycle tim e
trial, and th ey concluded with th e sam e at the end , to measure and
co mpare prog ress after th ree weeks. The results we re all exactly the
same. D espite the h uge t rain ing time d ifferen ce, eve ryon e had
improved to the same degr ee . Furt he r, their V0 2 M ax (the rate at
which thei r muscles ab sorbed ox yge n ) bad also imp roved by an
ide nt ical amount. G ibala co nduded : " Sho rt bouts of ver y intens e
exercise impro ved muscle health and perfo rmance co mparable to
several weeks of end urance traini ng. "
The type o f rraiuiug D r. Gibala was testing is called "hig h-intensity
interval training " (H IlT ). Today, more and more fitness-min ded
peo ple are realizing tha t short, intense exercise sessio ns arc the way
to go fo r th e best ret urn o n a training investment. An impo rtant
p:lper, by Angelo Tr emblay and Claude Bou ch ard , was p ublished
in 191,15 and came to similar con clusio ns as those of Professor Gibala.
Over a six-week period, a " sprint" cycle g ro up d ro pp ed over three
times as much body fur as a slo w, ae ro bic g ro up . T his was despit e
burning o nly approximately half the calories during the active excr-
cise. The aerobic group d id 45-mimn c workouts five tim es a week
at a stead y medium pace. The high-int ensity interval training group
did o n ly 30 mi nutes (inclu ding war m-up and cool-off reco very)
three tim es per week. Yet they burned off tripl e the body fat !
Wh y is it that HnT works so effecti vely? It is because o f a sta te
known as " excessive pos t -exercise oxyge n co nsumption ." In prac -
tice, you have a much higher post -exercise m eta bolic rate following
the intervals. In 1996, a U niversity of Alabam a stu d y found a higher
10 CA PO E t R A CO ND IT ION I NG

rare of metabolism (meaning calorie and fu r burning) even 24 hours

after a high-in tensity in terval train ing sessio n . People who wan t to
retain mu scle bu lk but lose fat love H IlT because it has the effect
of increasing calorie cons umptio n d ramatically without using mus-
cle as actu al fuel.
T here is one pr oviso he re. I t is a fact th at H IlT wo rks tar more
effectively for people already in go od shape . Aerobic tra ining is
g re at for b uild ing initial sta mina and end uran ce . So [he ru le of
thum b is: tak e it easy, Build up your fitn ess with regular 15- to 30-
minute sessions and then experiment with so me all-ou t mega-energy
bursts or 30 seco nds' d urat io n every few min utes (fo r example, four
flat-out 30-sccond b ursts embed ded within a 1 ~ -mi n llt e training
se ssio n). T his will kick-sta r t th e excess pos t -exercise oxygen co n-
sumption ( POC) effect .
N ote : W hen we ta lk of a m ega-e ne rgy b urst, we arc in reality
saying wo rk flat-out, peak intensity fo r 30 seconds. H alfa min ute
may seem like child's play, but once you've experienced 30 seco nds
of no -holds-b arred exercise bed lam , you 'll never knock it again.
You can reproduce this with many of the exercises in the capocira
con d itio ning system as lo ng as yo u have the g uts to push yo urself
to th e Ii mit for those sho r t but peak-experic nce 30 seconds of life.
T ry it now. Put yo ur hand on your he art and fed it. Set your
stopwa tch, hit the floor, and co bra-r un sprint (see exercise No. 40)
at top speed for 30 seconds. Feel yo ur he art aga in . In tile capoeira
conditioning system when you are resting yo u arc still co nditioning
yo ur bod y with capoeira mo vem e nts, so as yo n reco ver now, try
some gentle bridging or side bends w hile you wait for yo ur heart to
stop tryi ng to bo m b its way o ut of yo ur rib cage .

What M akes Capoeira Conditioning So Effective?

O ur bo dies are like elastic putty th at is shaped by everything we
 ce poet re Con dit io n i ng : W ha t It Is and W hy It 's Good f o r You 11

do th ro ughout our lives. For man y o f us, even during o ur teenage

years , thi s put ty begins to harden and beco me less pliable . O ur
range of movem ent dec reases wh ile o ur ach es and pains increase
week by week. We ge t tired more easily and we're afflicted by all
kinds of sma ll n aggi ng me ntal or ph ysical disco mfo rts. We put it
down to agin g .
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the force of gravity
drags all o ur musculature, skeleton, and intern al organ s. Any imbal -
anccs are reinforced by gravity. O ur inn er universe (that is, all that
stuff we do n't See just un der O UT skinj-e- musdes, orga ns, bon es,
blood vessels, and nerves-is covered with and co nnected by a thin
fi ber of co nnective tissue called "fascia." Imagin e it as an elasticized
mat rix (sometimes described as a cobweb ) stretched like a she ath
over everything else. Over rhc years, from the m om e nt o f bir th ,
our moveme nts affect the shape of thi s fascia .
It is made up largely of a pro tein called "co llagen ." Collagen
can be beautifull y soft like jelly, or hard and un yiel ding like rawhide.
As we travel t hro ugh life, picking up in juries, developing inco rre ct
postural habi ts, our fascia is constant ly adapting , in som e par ts hard -
ening and co mpe nsating in ways th at t ighten us up . If gra vit y,
injuries, misu se, u n na tu ral post ur e, and misaligned jo ints hav e
th rown our body out o f balance, t he hardenin g fascia will ho ld the
whole structure to gether with the same imb alances left unch ecked .
Repetiti ve training may reinforce imbalances within th e body, A
Ill-mile ru n with th e head thr ust forward , landing m ore heavily on
one ankle th an th e other, with a rib cage no t fully involved in the
process of breathing, might prom ote bodily st ress rath er than opti-
mal health . Sim ilar pro blem s ca n occur whe n repe tit ively lifti ng
weights wit h an im balanced posture.
T he fascia is educated by t he way we usc our bodies. An oft -used
example is crossing o ur arms. Please try it now. See wha t you do?
,l CAPO E IRA CO N D I TI ONIN G

The arms are auto ma tically crossed in exactly the same way you have
always cros sed them . You' ve probably done it like that for years. T ry
doing it with the other arm on cop and it feels weird. Th at's th e fas-
cia in actio n , like a body mem o ry. It is the same for many of the
movemen ts we all perfo rm throug ho ut the day, from stan ding , to
walking, eating, brushing ou r tee th , even to making love. If we want
to free up o ur frame, we can begin by remolding the fascia.

Now the G ood N ews

T he be auty of capocira co nd itio ning is its po tential for restoring the
bod y 10 balan ce . Thi s means t hat as an exerc ise system it is com -
piece with in itself an d needs no supplemen tar y elemen ts. This is why
it's th e real McCoy as a cross-training system and for wh ole -body
wo rko uts with no need for eq uipm ent, special clothes, shoes, machiu -
ery, gy m me mbership, pill s, potions , o r performance -enhancin g
drugs.
Capoei ra exercises p ro vid e an effective cou nter to movement
patterns an d poss ibly bad habi ts w e may have been practicing since
we we re in di aper s. The range o f mo veme nt is so varied th ar the
fascia is stretched ou t , elo ngated, p ulled , and loosened f rom every
co nceivable angle . Befo re return ing to the fascia, an ove rview abo ut
ho w th e musculature , skeletal structure , an d breathing tic in will
be use ful here .

About Breathing
You'll notice that durin g many ofth c exercises in this bo o k, d eep
na sa l brea t hing is recomme nded . Breat hing is o ne o f the most
impo rtan t dements o f any effective fitness program, and the aim
of d ee p n asa l "diap h rag m ati c " b reat hing is to d raw air into th e
lower lobes o f the lungs first for a marc effe ctive oxy gen exchange
w hile exercising .
 c e poe tre Con d it io n ing : What It Is and W hy It 's Good f or You 13

The D iaphragm.
This is a flat muscle at the base of the lungs . Like all muscles, the
diap hragm will be stre ngthened with correct tra ini ng. When we
inhale, the d iaph ragm contracts and the lower rib cage expands , as
docs the abdomen. Whe n we exhale, the lungs recoil, somewhat
like an inflated balloon whose air is escaping.
If we breathe only thro ug h our mouths in shallow breaths, we fill
the midd le and upper part of our lun gs with oxyge n, bu t ha rdly
ever reach the lower lo bes, wh ere t he bes t blood supply is. Th e
human, like mo st mammals, is mad e for n asal breath ing. Babies
breat he throu gh t heir no ses and o nly turn to mou th breathing
when the nose gets too congested to provide suffici ent oxygen . We
learn mourh breathing 3.<; we grow up and by the time we are adults,
the majori ty of people in o ur society arc shallow bre athers . If we
inhale shallow breaths, parado xically we tend to take in too much
oxygen , and never achieve a co rrect balance betwee n the o xygen
and carbo n dioxide (C0 2 ) in o ur lungs.
At fi rst you may well find it more d ifficult to get the air you need
du ring exercise when breathing th rou gh your nose. Thi s is a mat -
ter o f practice . If you are already in good shape, when yo u start
capocim co nditioning you may need to work at a sligh tly red uced
intensity when breat hing on ly t hrough the no se. After practicing
the method for som e time , you'll be able to train at a high intensity
level, as you engage th e lowest lobes o f your lungs and take stress
off your heart. Yo u can experime nt. l f yo u really wan t to go "eye-
balls out" you might try inhaling through the nose and exhaling
through the mouth. Purists can use the nose for the whole enchi-
lada (the full respiration o f inhalation and exhalation ),
During Strenuous exercise, whe n you gu lp in masses of o xygen
through your mo uth, it goes to the upper and middle part of you r
lungs. Yo ur hear t beat s rapid ly to pus h the blood through your
14- CAPOE IRA COND I TI ON I N G

lu ngs more qu ickly to feed yo ur m uscles, but this gives t he blood

less time in the lun gs, and virtually no tim e in the lower lo bes of
your lu ngs for really effective oxygen exch an ge . Deep , di aphrag-
mati c nasal breathing will de liver o xyge n to yo ur lu ngs more slowly,
b ut more effectively, because it will de liver it to the blood -rich lower
lobes, for a more effective oxygen exchan ge.
T he em phasis in capocira con ditio ning is to use the abdomin al
m uscles to expel air from your lungs as you exhale. After yo u have
co ntracted your abs and exhaled forcefully) the inhalation is auto-
mati c.

Nasal Breathing Exercise

T ry t his lying 0 11 yo ur back just to get th e reel o f it. Keep yo ur
mouth closed all the way t hrough the exercise . Lie d own on yo ur
back and suck in a lon g, steady inhalation of air through your nose.
Wh en you have taken in as much air as yo u can , hold yo ur breath
for a few seconds. T hen exhale through your nose in an even lon ger
steady breath , tighten ing your abdo minal muscles at th e end of th e
breath to expel air from your lu ngs effectively, as if yo u're try ing
to squeczc your navel back toward your spine. when you can exhale
no more air, relax completel y and sec how yo ur in halatio n occurs
au to matica lly as yo u r body suc ks rhc air In th rou gh your nose with-
o ut yo ur having to consciously co ntrol it .
A shallo w breather will rcspirarc twelve or more times in a minure,
but a deep bre ather can easily red uce this amo unt to four or even
tW O times per minu te .

Breathing Is a Workoztt
'When we ha bitu ally bre athe deeply through th e n atu ral apparatus
for respiration (th e nose), it is an incredibly effective workout for our
abdo minal m uscless, o ur lu ngs, d iaphragm, spine, and rib cage. T he
 Capoei ra Co nd it io n i ng : W hat It Is and Why It's Good fo r Yo u 15

rib cage should expa nd and then co ntract with each br eat h . Our
rib cage actually widens as we inhale, and our body lengthens. When
we exhale , it contracts , softens, an d relaxes. If we don't breathe
deeply, the ribs don 't m ove dynamically, and the whole trunk. grad -
ually stiffens up and loses flexibility.
T hink of your torso as a round, upright tu be with th ree hori-
zontal sections . At the base is the pelvic floor, th e ceiling is the
dome of your uppe r rib cage, and th e middle is the diap hragm mus-
cle. Beneath the diaphragm is the abdominal cavity and many impor-
tant organs, in clu d ing yo ur kidneys. Fitting sn ugly above the
diaphragm is the thorax (chest cavity), in which the hear t and lungs
arc contained .
Ou r ribs are attach ed to the spine; with correct deep breat hing
the ribs ge ntly mas sage th e spi ne and internal organs . When we
breathe dee ply d urin g ma ny of the capoeira movements sh ow n in
this book, this massage effect is heightened . If an exercise is a static
pose, rem ember always that we are never litera lly sta tic. Breat h is
movement, and every de ep respir ation increases the flexib ility of
your rib cage and spine, which will ob vio usly increase yo ur overall
mobi lity and fitn ess for capoeira and m any other activities.

Two-Way B en efits
During srrenuous capocira movem ent, inside the body there is a par-
allel game going on, in which accessory m uscles from the legs to the
jaw are wo rking toward op ening and closin g the chest cavity for
greater respiration . Everything is geared toward expanding th e chest .
If we view the body as a mechanical system, this task is made easier
when the rib cage, spine, hips, and shoulders are loose and flexible.
Right there in the middle of your che st is the hear t. Think of it
as a pu mp , and in a long and even o therwise un eventful lifetim e it
will beat an aver age o f two an d a half billion tim es without ever
16 CAPO E I RA COND IT IO N I NG

stopping to take a rest . The heart pumps out aro und 10 pinrs of
blood a min ute when you're resting and more than 70 pints per
m inute d uring strenuous exercise.
The heart is a muscle about the size of a closed fist . It sits right
there atop th e dia phragm and between the lungs; it isn 't JUSt a blob
of pumping m ass doing its th ing ind ependently fro m th e rest of
o ur str uc tu re. T he heart m o ves and changes shape with every sin -
gle one of the millions of br eath s we take . Bad posture and srr uc-
rural im ba lan ces may co mp ress the hea rt an d will also affect the
diaphragm on which it is supported . O n the other hand, good pos-
tu re and a fully expa nding an d co nrractiug rib cage and spine will
e nco urage optimal heart functio n .
During our respirati o n cycle various syste ms arc worki n g simul-
raucously to facilitare blood circu latio n . First t here is the co ro nar y
system, which involves the movemen t of blood between th e four
main cavities of the heart (the at ria an d ventricles ). Then th ere is
th e pu lmonary system , which is respo nsible for the circ ulation of
blood between th e heart and the lungs. Lasr is th e systematic circu-
lation, which invo lves the transport of blood to all the other o rga ns
o f th e body beside s th e heart and lungs.
Bloo d circul atio n th ro ughour the bod y happens via blood ves-
scls (veins, arteries, and capillaries) . T he re are around 100,000 miles
of blood vessels in an average ad ult body! These lie across or under-
neath, o r are surro un de d by mus cles. Re laxed m uscles th at are no t
sti ff and ove rconrrac red won' t sq uee ze an d pinc h rh e blood ves-
sels, meaning rh ey tr ansport blood more effectively.
Via blood vessels (veins), waste -infused blood enters the heart.
By the action of the coronary system the heart pumps blood in to the
pulmonary artery. This leads to the lungs. The waste-in fused blood
co ntai ns ca rb on d ioxi de an d o ther gases . Wi thi n the lungs, t he
miraculous switch oc curs.
 c e po etre Conditio ning : What It Is and W hy It's Goo d fo r You 17

Imagine you've just taken a deep breath of oxygen . T h is air

passes through various tubes- first the larynx and then the trachea,
a tube that enters the chest cavity. T he trachea branches o ff in to
two thinner tubes (the bronchi), which in turn subdivide into bron -
chioles that lead into the lungs . The oxygen you have inhaled passes
through the bronchial tubes and into even thi nner tu bes, which
connect to minuscule sacs (alveoli), of wh ich there are approxi-
mately 600 million in an average pair ofl ungs. Once in the alveoli,
the oxyge n floods through capillaries into ar terial blo od (whi ch is
there in more abundanc e in th e lowest lobes of your lungs) .
T he CO 2 infused blo od by now has also bee n rele ased into th e
alveoli, and as you exhale t hat CO 2 leaves your lu ngs via exact ly
the same route the oxygen entered . T he ox ygen -rich blood from
your lungs will now e nter t he heart again via the pulmonary sys-
tem , and from the re once more do its rounds of yo ur bo dy via the
blood vessels. And so it goes on, from the moment o f yo ur bir th ,
to th e last breath you ever take .
Use this miracle within your che st we ll and it will serve you all
the days of your lite. Cramp yourself lip with bad posture, eat high-
fat food , and never exerci se , o r even sen d tar, nicotin e, and carbon
monox ide flowing in to your lungs along with the oxygen, and
thing s may not be so sweet.

Full-Body Breathing
One last pointer concerni ng breathing. In our exercise, we took an
abdominal tension breath, which is a good start for prac ticing nasal
breathing . As yo u do capocira co nditioning, try to develop your
body awareness to a new level.
Remember at t he beginning o f this section we talked about the
"fascia," tha t thin network of connective t issu e envelopi ng th e
bones, muscles, and joints, holding everything together. Because

..
18 CAP O E I RA COND I TIONI NG

it is a collo id , th e co llagen in the fascia can turn from liq uid to solid
and from solid to liq uid. Ten sions within o ur bod ies, wh ich may
become chro nic, will also have the ten de ncy to shorten and ha rde n
the fascia.
O bviously it is not necessary to be im agi ning th e intern al uni-
verse of your body all the t ime while exercising , thou gh from time
to time as you perform these exercises, get really quiet and aware o f
you r breathing. Be aware of your diaphra gm rising and flattening as
yo u exhale and in hale. Be aware that the fascia matrix responds to
the action of you r mu scles as you breathe . Be co nscious that t his
occu rs all over yo ur body, from th e top o f your head to th e soles
of your feet. So breathe long and de ep while your ribs rise and full,
expand and co ntract , your spine lengthening and releasing natu -
rally by th e action of yo ur breathing . Remai n relaxed , even when
you are doing exercises that may seem ar first [0 be primarily strength
building; cons ider all the mo vements co real ly be a stre tch .
 Cha pt er 2

The Tr aining

Core Movements
There will be so me emphasis in th e training o n what may be termed
"core movements" in capocira conditioning. "Core movements " in
this context means that the y are the essential bu ilding blocks of this
training system. Another way the wor d "core" is used in relatio n to
training is whe n we talk ab ou t th e bo dy's "core," which usually
refers to th e abdom inal mu scles and the m uscles of the lower back.
Coincide n tally, some of the core moveme nts will co nd ition th e
body's "(are" very effectively, but that isn't why they arc called core
movements.
The cor e movemen ts represeJlt basic,
simple exercises that will wo rk the mus- T he core movem en ts are :
cles and joints you would mainly be using ( NO. 3) Cocorinh a ( squat s)
during th e gam e o f capocira. fu core ( NO.14) Pont e ( back bridg e)
moveme nts, if yo u did absolutely noth -
( No. 25) Au Norma l ( cartw heel)
ing else, these movements alone, done
in sufficie nt quantity, will keep yo u in ( NO. 33/34 ) Plant anda Bananeira
(handstand) and Benanei re
great shape both for playin g the gam e of
Push- Up
capo eira and for living life .

19

b
20 ( AP OEI RA COND ITIO N IN G

Later on you will find a Trai ning Effects Chart to guide you to
particula r exercises that emphasize different areas of overall condi -
tioning. Exe rcises tha t relate to core movements will be shown in
bo ld print an d in parenth eses. If num bers other than (3), (14), (25),
and ( 33/34 ) are shown in bol d print, it is because they are exer-
cises closely related to the core m ovements. For examp le, although
No. 14, the Po nt e (back bridge), is the core movement, N o. I5 (a
Ponte back brid ge with the h eels raised ) and No . 18 ( Ponte back
bridge push -ups) will also be shown in bold prim , as they arc such
d o se rela tives and may be useful for those who find brid ges with
heels do wn difficu lt , or wh o want to lip th e ante with so me mov-
ing bridges.

Co corin ha Sq uats
The squat inc reases en ergy flow, and helps free up tensions in the
pelvis and perineal floor. It gives a gentle stretch to the body's major
m uscles . The sq uat is highly regard ed in bodywork syste ms such
as " polarity theory." It is used to ground us to the earth and indeed
forms th e basis of the " polarity" exer cise forms. T he " utkarasan a"
o r " hunkering posture" is recorded as one of the 32 asanas that arc
the most important in h ath a yoga. Th e way it is so metimes done,
with raised heels and the knees a little apart, is perfect for peo ple
whose an kles are roo right to handle the full cocori nha with heels
pressed into th e floor.
T he cocorinha sq uat can also be uti lized to give us an incredible
leg and card ia wo rko ut. Many co mbat/sport systems base exercise
sessions on th e squat. Ken Shamrock is known to use high -repetition
squats of up to 500 to get his fighters in shape in his training head -
q uar te rs, "T he Lion 's Den ." "T he Hindu Sq uat ," a special and
highly effective variation, has been popularized by th e catch wrestling
and kung fu world champio n Matt Furey. l'
 T he T r a i ni ng 21

In arts where ama zing leg stre ngth, suppleness, an d springiness

for jum ping are needed, suc h as balle t , high rep etitions of th e half
knee be nd (dc mi plie) and fulJ kn ee be nd (gra n d plie) are viral for
building dynamic power in th e thighs and buttocks, and for strength-
en ing the Ach illes te nd o n and ankle too . Ma ny worldwide fo lk
dances and styles that requi re extreme athleticism an d agility also
e mph asize thi gh po wer de rived from sq ua ts. To name bu t two:
Russian Cossack dancin g and the No rwegian Halling dance, which
featu re leaps, ver y high kicks, and so me rsau lts, include many vari-
ations of th e squatting po sition as their integral characteristic. " Ply-
o metrics," the training system tha t is used whe re ju mp height is
increased tor sports like basketball or the high jum p, also emphasize s
t he typ e of leg conditioning th at can be built from sq uats, jump
squats, bu nny hops, and exercises of that type ,
In other wo rds, if you want grea t capoci ra co nditioning. mak e
friends with tJ1C coco rinh a.

Ponte: T he Back Bridge

T he back bridge in capoeira co nd itioning pre pares th e body for
many movements within the game (such as mocud a, macaco , gata,
and walkove rs) . For th ose who don't do capoeira itsel f, the back
bridge may be familiar if yo u have tried judo , gymnastics, yoga , or
wrestling. In India it' s called chakrasaua (vwbeel posture" ) and is said
to he one of the most therapeutic postures in yoga. On e of Mestre
Bimba's entran ce tests at his Capocira Acad em y was th e prospec-
tive student's fitne ss to perfo rm a back bridge .
It will en large yo ur rib cage and increase thoracic mobility. It
helps trim away fat fro m your abs and thigh s, an d is bene ficial for
the ner vous system , glands, and reprod uctive o rga ns . I t will also
build strength in yo ur an kles and wrists and because of th e st rong
arch to your spine it will stretch out the whole fron t of your body
 22 (A POE IRA C O N D IT IO N ING

and streng the n the hips. T here are variations of this mo vem ent in
capocira co nd itioning, though it is th e static ar ms extended back
bridge that is th e core m ovement to concentra te on.

Au N or mal (Cartwheel )
T he basic cartwheel is one of th e first " acroba tic" movements many
people in capoeira Jearn . It is a na tural mo vem ent of th e hum an
body, as is witn essed by its popularity am o ng young children, who
throw th emselves about with it almost as soon as th ey have learned
to walk. It is a playful movement and seemingly simple; however, the
at' is also very subdc and versatile. By turning this inverted whee l
you ca n bu ild coordination and balance skills, build stami na, trim
yo ur waist, st re ngthen th e arm s and sho uld e rs) an d it form s t he
basis of many other types of au in the ga me of capoeira-c-fro r n all
batendo, to au co icc, au q uebrada, all cspinha, and ma ny others.
AU. barc ndo is a cartwheel with a down ward " mar relo 't-c-ham rner
kick-in th e middle o f the: movem ent. Au co icc is a cartwheel th at
delivers a rwo -foored "m ule kick." AU. q uebrad a means an a(1 with
a smash, whe rei n o ne straigh r leg is kicked forward and inward
toward th e capo eirisra's body, while rbey are inverted on o ne hand.
T his is so me times called "bico de papagaio" [00 . The au espinha
is an a(1 whe rein the spine and hips an: rotared d uring th e move -
me nt so that th e hips are centered and facing upward and forward .

Plantanda Bananeira ( H and stand)

and Bananeira P ush-Up
Th ese arc mo re of those universal move ments th at break down bar-
riers between different disciplines. The handsta nd for ms th e basis of
an y num ber of gymnastic and acrobatic moveme nts and is an essen-
rial component of the game o f capoeira. Players who can 't ho ld a
full, static handstan d will nonet heless often do movem ents th at uti-

l -------'-
 The Tra in ing

hze, however fleetin gly, the pos itio n of the bananeira. The handstand
is a key co mpo nent o f gymnastic training, and th e handstand push-
up is o ne o f t he best exercises for totaJ to rso and sho ulder strength.
Gym nast and autho r Dan Millman described in Way ofthe Peacef u l
Warrior ho w he built his srren gth back up again after breaking his
leg in a serious motorcycle crash: " I began a pro gram of exercise,
slowly at fU"S[, then more intensely. . . . I carefully p ressed up to
hands tands, then pumped up and d own, agai n and again, puff-
log wi th exertion until every m uscle had wo rked to its limit and
m y body glistened ... ." . H e we nt o n to beco me a National Col-
legiate Gy mnastic cha mpio n and World Trampoline champion.
0 0'(: again , the movement is used in YOb~ and is known as the
"balanci ng tree pos ture." Banan eira co mes with good. credentials,
and if you want to get strong with a capital S without laying han ds
on a barbell, this is the movem ent for you .

Workou t Menu
The fo llowing co m bination ideas are just a guidel ine . O nce yo u
have some practice with c....pocira co ndi tio ning, or if you arc already
a capocirista, yo u can put togethe r yo ur own co mbinations of exe r-
cises to suit you r sc he d ule and t he time yo u wish co devo te to
capo cira co nd ition ing from d ay to d ay. Given he re are so me
seque nces o f exercises th at provide an all-around workout, and
so m e seq ue nces that yo u ma y en jo y if yo u wan t to p u t special
emph asis on one particular aspect offirness- for example. "a rm,
back, and shoulder capoe ira conditioning," "capoei ra leg cond i-
tion ing ," and so on .

* Millman, Dan . Way ofthe PUlu ful Warrior: A Book Tha t ChatWu LivtJ
(Tiburon, Calif.: H . J. Kramer/ New World Library, 2000), p. 97.

b
24 CAPOE IRA CO NDIT IO N I NG

7Y,-M inute Capoeira Conditio ning

Ma inte nance Worko uts
When yo u are strapped for time, you can do one o f these at any time
of day, or co mbine them for IS-minute workouts, o r do o ne in the
morning and one in th e evenin g- whatever suits your schedule.

II Leg and aerobic workou t

NO.3 Coco rinha Squats

D o 250 cocorinha sq uats in 7~ min utes. lf you have hardly any

rime to spare, bu t yo u still want to do so met h ing, this will give
you an effec tive sessio n in m in im um time .

Leg, back, and shoulder workout

NO. 3 Cocorin he Squ a ts
No.8 Wrist Rot atio n

No, 34 eananetra Push-Ups

for a full bod y blaster, do five rapid sets of 50 cocorinh a squats

(while ro tatin g your wrists to warm them up) alte rn ating with
five sets o f ba nan cira push -u ps. If you wo rk q uickly and method-
ically, this should be poss ible to achieve in 10 min utes.

Legs, back, shoulders, hips, and high -intensity

cardiovascular worluna
NO. 4 0 Cobra Running
No. 20 No Cheat Br idge

Do 30 seconds of cobra running explosively and at a flat-out pace.

Alternate with two rounds of 110 cheat bridge, back and fo rth .
R ep eat the cycle o f movemen ts, sw itching from 30 seconds of
 The Training 25

cobra running flat out to no cheat bridge for four complete turns.
This workout can be completed in 7 lh to 10 minutes to tal.

A rms) shoulders) waist) and aerobic w orkout

No. 25 Au Norm al

Do as many of this movement as you can in 7 \4 min ute s. Move

rhythmically from side ro side without stopping. 1 yo u need to
take a break , simply do a few NO.4 ginga, then cont in ue.

Legs, arms, shoulders, and waist workout

NO. 25 Au No rmal + N O. 3 Coco rtnha Squat s

Au norma l to the right. D ro p into a cocorinh a sq uat , th e n up

into an all normal to the left, then coc o rinha and to the right
again. Move back an d forth rhyth mically for 7 Vz min utes an d
you 'll be breathing hard , so take it easy. This will to ne up you r
muscles, give you an aerobic workout, and add to you r springi -
ness within the roda.

Legs, back, and shoulder workout

No.8 Wri st Rot at ion

NO.3 Coco rin ha Squats

NO. 39 Leg and Lower Back Stretc h

NO. 18 Back Bridge Push-U ps

As you do 50 cocorinha squats, rotate you r wrists. On the final

squat, sit in position for the from leg (and lower back) stretch and
do one full stretch for 5 deep breaths. Lie back and do 10 bridge
pu sh -ups. Ro ll up an d do another 50 co co rin ha sq uats, then
contin ue th e cycle for 7lh minutes. Sec if you can cra nk o ut 3
full cycles of exer cises in tha t time.
26 CA POE I RA CO NDI T I O N I NG

Leg s, shoulders, a nd back workou t

NO.3 Cocorinha Squat s

NO.20 No Cheat Bri dge

If yo u arc already warmed up , say fro m a 7 Y. -minute a6 normal

workout , rag o n this comb inatio n to give your spine a backward
arch to complement the lateral stretch fro m the au no rmals, Do
50 rapid coco rinha squats, then rest back on on e hand and reach
over for th e no cheat bridge . T hen press th e other hand on th e
floor and do a no cheat bridge in the other d irection . Im medi -
ately shoo t up for another 50 squats an d continue the cycle.

The Ne xt Stage
H opefully you are beginning to sec a pattern here. The 7 M-min ute
wor kouts are a wake-up call fo r the body. If yo u tend tow ard a
sede ntary lifestyle, why no t break up yo ur day with tw o or th ree
of these 7Yz -minute sessions? If yo u kn ow you are go ing to spend
six or seven hours at the com puter, it 's nor so u nrealistic to spend
a small fraction of th at time do ing capocira cond ition ing ; or a few
minutes befo re breakfast, a few in th e even ing . If yo u' re wo rried
about sweating, familiarize yourself with th e "meialua" wash . Hi t
th e restroom. and a quick upper-body wash with so ap and wate r
ta kes only a couple of minu tes and will ge r rid of any sweat you
ruighr build up du ring a 71h -minutc: workout.
T he key is to combine th e exercises so that every day you bend
th e spi ne for ward , backward, and laterally Also . try to give yo ur
legs some training, as leg strength and endurance are "the gu vno rs"
in capoeira (as they say in England ). The point is to wor k the mus-
cles and mobilize the heart and lun gs int o action . Rem ember a
muscle that d oesn ' t work atrop hies, so any amo u nt o f training,
 Th e Tra in ing 27

even as minimal as 7lA -minutes, is insurance aga inst the process of

atrophying and acts as a to ne r fo r yo ur who le system.
It is interesting to experiment with trainin g . You may usc these
7Y:! -minlltc sessions, based as th ey are on variations of the coco r-
mba squa t, mixed with other exercises, to tr y capoeira conditioning
as an anaero bic training session .

Anaerobic Training
Anae robic means "with o ut oxygen ." It is short b urs ts of much -
increased exertion followed by a pe rio d of rest. T he di ffer enc e is
that in capocira condit ionin g, while yo u " rest ," you do another set
of exercises, working a different body pa rt while you recover from
you r "oxyge n de bt." Oxygen debt is a situation in whi ch the har d -
working m uscle tissues need mo re oxygen th an t hey have available ,
resulting in a "de bt" of oxygen and anaerobi c respiration. Gcner-
aUy speaking, d uring anaerobic exercise you burn glycogen , which
is sugar converted fro m car bo hydra tes. Anaero bic exercise- as in ,
for example, 50 rap id -fin: coco rinha squ ats (No.3 ) or au no rma l
(No . 25}-wiU raise your basal metabo lism, and it will remain raised
tor a considerable period of time after you have finished exercisin g,
thus burning more calo ries even whe n yo u are back at yo ur desk.
If you have trained anaero bically and are in oxygen debt, you may
need to in hale through your mouth briefly, yet try to brin g yo ur
breathing back under control and begin nasal breathing as you recover
during a new stage ofth e exercise cycle-for example, while you do
no cheat back bridges (No. 20 ) or a bananeira han dstand (No . 33).

Train ing Gam e: "Capoeira Fartlek "

l-artle k means "speed play" and was a r unning conc ept d eveloped
in Scan dinavia in the 1930s. This type of traini ng combines aer o-
28 CA P OEIR A C O ND IT I O N I N G

hie exe rcise (fo r example , long, stea dy dis tance running) with anaer-
obic exe rcise (speed su rges of hig h in ten sity or hill sprints within
tile run) . The fartl ek effect can easily be u tilized in capocira con-
ditioning. Take a set o f 250 cocori nha squats. At an aero bic pa ce
you will be able to build up to this numbe r in 7ih min utes. But let's
say yo u try to do 250 cocorinha squats in 6 ~ or 7 minutes, by doing
50 or 75 of the m at a vastly increased pace , th us forcing you r body
to wo rk anaerobically T here it is, " capccira fartlek " You call use th is
speed play in any way you want d uring capoei ra conditioning to
wo r k yo ur bod y in a way t hat p uts yo u in t he " excess ive posr-
exe rcise oxygen consu mption" (EPOe) con dition described ea r-
tie r. Be imag inative, as variety keeps the t raini ng inte resting a nd
playful. Remem ber that w e're doing thi s to stay fit, get health y, feel
good , and h ave fun , not to ad d bu rd ens to o ur cares, and cares [0

o ur woes ,
Naturally this is excellent training tor the ga m e of cepoeira itself
where a change o f gea r is o ften ca lled tor insid e the rod a, and if
yo u've do ne it in tra ining, you arc rhar much finer LO do it in the
jogo.

Aerobic Training
Aerobic means " with oxygen. " D r. Kenn eth H . Coop er popular -
ized aerobic exe rcise aft er he p ublis h ed his book A erobics in 1968.
Almost any exercise can be done either anaerobically or aero bically.
Capoeira conditioni ng is no exception . If yo u do these exercises at
a sustainable, steady pace, in creasi ng your hear t rate without enter-
ing oxygen debt, yo u are doing an aerobic exercise.
The benefi ts of aerobic exercise arc well known and manifest
(bur it will no t hu rt to recount them ). You will gain improvements
to yo ur Joo ks, your skin ronc and glow. T here will be increased
oxyge n co nsumptio n and blood vo lume , and lower blood pressure.
 Th e Trainin g 29

Yo ur heart will work less with a lo wer resting heart rate . Aerobic
training will fend off depression , and will release stress and tensio n ,
reducing anxiety as yo u produce endorphi ns. Endorphins arc the
natural pain -killing ho rmo nes prod uced by yo ur body during sus-
tained exercise. T hey give you a n atural high and a feeling of well-
being.

15-Mi nut e Capoeira Condit ioning

Aero bic Sess ions
Try t he followin g co mbinatio n suggestions, or build yo ur own ses-
sions. Becaus e of the na ture o f capocira, almost any o f t he m ove -
ments will fi t together as snugly as two adjoining jigsaw pieces. So
be flexible and try a full range of exercises from th ose demon strated
within this book. To link exe rcises to gether, just do a N o . 4 ginga
in betwee n movements to ch ange your foot positio n .

Leg and aerobic workout

NO 3 Cocor tnha Squat s

Do 500 in 15 minutes .

Waist) legs) abs, shou lders) wrists)

and back workout
NO.5 Gi ng a Reverse Wa ist Tw ist

NO.3 Coco r in ha Squat

No. 41 B ~nc;a o

Ginga with the reverse twist by bringing o ne leg back. Retu rn

th e foo t to the middle parallel position again and coccrinha.
Ginga back on th e same foo t , the n bencao. Tak e the foot bac k
30 CA P O E I R A CO N D IT I O N I N G

again . Ginga and do the same thing on the other side. Do 100 to
150 in 7~ minutes. T hen:
NO.9 Static Cabecada

No. 21 Wall Wheel Br idge

Alte rnate these two movements for 7 '!JJ minutes.

L eg , waist, arms, and shoulders workout

NO.4 Ginga

No. 2.9 Negat iva Lateral

Ginga for 10 ste ps. N cgativa lateral to th e righ t . Ginga for 10

steps and neg ativa lateral to the left , Repeat for 15 min utes.

Leg, waist, arms, shoulders, a n d back workou t

GingCl

No. 30/31 Moenda

Ginga for ]0 steps, the n moe nda to the right , ginga, and moenda
co the left. Repeat for 15 min u tess.

Leg s) arms) shoulders) and waist workout

No . 2.8 Au Pistols
Side to sid e, tr y to do as ma ny reps of th e p istols as yo u can
betwee n aus. As yo u tire, simpl y lower the n um ber o f reps yo u
do each set. Re peat for 15 minu tes, resting with NO.4 gin ga.

Legs, arms, shoulders, back, and hips workou t

NO.1 Coco rtnh a

NO. 9 Sta t ic Cabecade

 The Train ing 31

NO.32 Queda de Quatro-Chapa

NO.20 No Cheat Bridge

Assume No.1 cocorinha. Shoot forward for a No.9 static cabe-

cada, then back into No.1 cocorinha and immediately drop into
No. 32 qucda de quatro-chapa (both left and right legs) . Finish
with No. 20 no cheat back bridge to right and left. Repeat the
sequence as many times as you can in 15 minutes .

Chest, legs, back, and shoulders workout

NO.37 Leg Str etch Push-Ups

NO.18 Back Bridge Push-Ups

NO.38 Side Split Twists

Do a set of No . 37 leg stretch push -ups, then a set of back bridge

push-ups. Recover your breath whi le "resting" in a set of No.
38 side split twists . Repeat process for 15 minutes.

30-,45-, and 60-Minute Capoeira

Conditioning Sessions
lfyou arc feeling full of enerb'Y and have the time to spare, you can
try a longer session once in a while, maybe o nce or twice a week.
By now you will alre ady be familiar with the exercises an d have
built up a core of capoeira st rength and conditioning, so you will be
in a pos ition to choose which exercises you wan t to put together.
In rhis case, it will probably be best to suggest princip les rat her
than set workouts .
Try, at least once or twice a week, to include a good solid ses-
sion of some variation of the four b asic core movements (No .3
cocorinha squats, No. 14 back bridge, No. 25 au normal, and No.
32 CA POE I RA CO NDIT I O N I N G

33/ 34 pJantanda banancira and ban aneira push-up ). By includi ng

th ese within your overall capo cira conditioning program, you will
ensu re your body has t he inner strength to perform all the o th er
capocira movem ents.
Ment ally, or even on a p iece of p ap er, break yo ur body down
into parts and arrange exercise sessions so th at you don't neg lect
any part ofyour frame . There's little benefit to developin g shou l-
de rs like an O lymp ic gymnast if you have th e legs of a sparrow.
Ginga is a good warm -up exercise. It's a dance step, so yo u can
do it to music for 10 or 15 minutes or so . Added to cocorin ha squats
it will give th e legs a powe rful boost whenever you do it . Keep in
mi nd the capoeira principle o fthe h ands being feet and the fee t
bein g hands.
Devote at least 50 percent o f yo ur training to exercises on your
hands. That includes all the bana neira exercises, the all movemen ts.
rhe ncgativa lateral, the bridges, and so o n.
T hink of your spine o ften and devote whole sessions to looking
after it. Bend forward , backward , to each side, and twist your spine.
Th in k aerobic. Keep it simple; take any two Or three o f these
moveme nts and put them toget her for halfan hour and you've got
a capoeira co nd itio ning session.
O ne of th e main de -motivators to trainin g or begin ning a course
of exercise to ward learning a " martial ar t" is to th ink you need a
who le loa d of esoteric, "deep" kn owled ge to do it. You don't. To
play capoeira well is a lo ng process t hat de mands Jots of practi ce
with other capoc ira players for sure. Yet to get in great shape using
capoci ra mo vemen ts you do n't need any esoteric kn owledge at all.
JUSt the ge t-u p-and -go to devo te a minimum of 15 m inute s a day
to performing th ese exercises with good form and strong mental
focus.
 Chapte r 3

The Exercises

For :1 quick reference gu ide and to he lp you make a " no- brainer"
decision on what to do fo r a desired result in any parti cu lar work-
out , each exercise is accompanied by some bu zzwords that describe
what it is mostly effective for. The buzzwords are:
l. Flexibility -stretch

2. Strength
3. P owe r
4. Agi lity
5. Balance
6. Cardia (cardi ovascu lar endurance)
7. Coord in ation

8. Fat Burner

Please note th at "fat burning" isn't a qua lity of o verall fitness in

itsel f; th erefore, it wasn't in the initial list o f essential attributes for
all-around co nditio ning . Fat burni ng , though , is an attribute of
some o f th ese exercises, and is included here for those who have a
particular inte rest in losing some weight,

33
34 CAPOE IR A CO ND IT IO N IN G

Below is a very simple chart so you can go stra igh t to th e exer-

cises that best achieve the result you want. For example, yo u want
to bum fat and build strength today. Just check. our th e "Par Burner"
and "Strength" boxes below and go to the exe rcises correspond ing
to th e nu mbers within each box. Ifyo u wan t m ore details on what
those exe rcises do fo r you-fOf ins tance, wh at part o f yo ur body
they will strengthen, an d so forth -c-yo u can th en read the " H ealth
and Fitness Benefits" sectio n withi n each exercise descrip tion .
Note tha t co re movements are in parenth eses.

Tra i n i ng Effects Cha rt

Thi s Training Effects C hart will guid e you to particular exercises
that emphasize d ifferent areas ofoverall conditioning . Exercises th at
relate to co re movements will be shown in bold print and in paren -
theses. If numbers o ther than [he co re movements (3), (14 ), (25 ),
(33 ), an d (34 ) are shown in bold p rim , it is because th ey arc excr-
rises closely relared [0 the core movements, which work similar areas
o f conditi oning, th o ugh with a slightly different emph asis.
 The Exerci se s 35

Train ing Effect s Chart

Effect E xercise Numbers

Flexibility-stretch 1,2 , (3) , 5, 6 , 7, 8 ,10, II, 12, 13, (14) , (15 ),

16, 17, (1 8) , 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, (25 ), 26,
27, 28, 29 . 30 ,3 1, 32,35 ,37, 38,39

Strength 9, (14), (15 ), 16, 17, (18 ), 19, 20, 2 1, 22, 24,
(25), 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, (33) , (34) , 35,
36 , 37, 40

Power (3 ),7,( 18 ), 19, 28, (34 )

Agility 4, 5,6 , 7, (25 ), 26, 30, 31, (34)

Balance 4, 9, 17, (18) , 19, 20 , 2 1, 22 , 23, 24, (25 ),

26 .2 7,28, 29, (3 3 ), (34 ), 35, 36

Cardio (cardiovascular (3), 4, 5, 6 , 7, (18 ), 22 , (2 5), 26, 27, 28, 40

endurance)

Pat Burner (3 ),4 , 5, 6 , 7, (25) , 26 , 28 , 40

Coordinatiow 4 ,5 , 6, 7,20, 22 , (2 5) , 26 , 28, 30 , 3 1

CA P Q E 1R A C QN D I T10 N lN G

1. Cocorinha (st at iona ry)

F lex ib ility-stretch.

Movement
Stand with your feet shoulder-wid th (at least 15 to 20 inches) apart.
Bend yo ur knees and d ro p down into a squat position with yo ur
hands in front of you , crossed at the wrist.

Brea.thing
Brea the d eeply. Tr y nasal breathi ng, inhaling and exhaling o nly
thr ough your nose. Exhale un til you feel you have expelled every last
b reath o f air fro m yo ur lungs , and as yo u exh ale , visualize you r
lo wer spine (sacroiliac joint) relaxing farther toward the floor.
Hold the cocorinha positio n for at least eight breaths.

Poin ters
If you have stiff ankles, squat in the same way, but with YOllr heels
raised on a co uple o f thin books, weight-training plates, o r even a
rolled -up towel.

Health and Fitness Benefits

T h is is very be ne ficial for the sacroiliac joints at the back of t he
pelvis and base o f the spine. It releases pressure on your Iowa back,
low ers th e sacr um be tween th e hip join ts, and gives th e ankles a
po werful stretc h.
Th e axerc tses 37

--,;;
CAPO EIRA CO N D IT I O N I N G

2. Cocorinh a Variat io ns
Flexib ility-stretch.

Movem ent
Rest yo ur chin 011 your ch est for a fuller stretch of th e spine and
Jet yo ur arms rest betw een your legs.
O utstretch your arms and squeeze your shoulder blades togeth er,
lifting your chin for an op posite stretch . You can have yo ur heels
flat o n the ground , or if yo u prefer) raised as they are in the photo -
graph .
If your ankles and legs are so stiff that you find it difficult to bal-
ance without fulli ng over backward, hold a secure table leg o r other
secure o bject for stability.

Breathi11;!j
A5 for cocorin ha.

Pointers
Once again, let yo ur tailbone d rop low. While yo u ho ld o nto an
o bject for stability you can rotat e aro u nd slig htly and wo rk all
releasing tension in yo ur lower spine .

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

Similar to those for coc orinha.
T he Exe rcises 39
40 CA POE I RA CONDI T IO N ING

3" Cocorin ha (squat)

Plexibiliry-strctch. C ard ia . Power. Fa t Burner.

Movement
Stand with your feet sh o uld er-width apa rt . Bend you r knees and
drop down into a squat position with your hands in fro nt of you,
crossed at the wrist. Stand up again, bringing yo ur arms above your
he ad and reachi ng toward the sky for a full st retch o f t he spine.
Repeat . Shoot for 175 in 5 m inutes, 350 in 10 minu tes, o r 500 in
15 min utes.

Breathing
Exhale o n the way down. In hale o n the way up . In all exercises try
nasal breathing, or if you find that difficult, in hale th rough the nose
and exhale th ro ug h the mouth .
 The Exe rc is e s 41

Pointers
Let yo ur hips drop as low as possible. Tr y not to bend for ward on
the way down, o r on the way up . Keep yo ur head upri ght an d
aligned with your spine . [f your ankle s are not flexible en ough to
fully squat with yo ur heels o n the floo r, yo u can raise your heels
and squat on yo ur toes.

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

lfyou do these sq uats rapidly and in high repetitions, they build
incredible power and springiness into your legs. Aim to d o a top
number o f 500 cocorin ha squats in around 15 minu tes and yo u will
also be givin g your card io vascular system a very thorough wo rk-
our.
42 CA PO EIR A CO N D I T I O N I N G

4 . Ginga ( basic capoe ira foot wo rk)

Agility. Coordinati on. Balance. Cardio . Fat Burner.

Movement
Stand with yo ur feet shoulder-width apar t with your kn ees slightly
bent. Slide one leg back and rest mos t ofyour weigh t on th e ball of
your back foot, wi th th e heel up. T he sole of your front foot should
be flat on the floor (both knees remain bent throu ghout th e who le
seq ue nce) . Sim ultaneo usly raise yo ur arm and hand and swing it
to the front o f your face or chest on the same side as your back leg .
Transfer yo ur weight back to the front foot, simultaneously slid-
ing the back fo ot to its original parallel posi tio n. Switch arms and
legs so th at YO llr ot her foot slides back and yo ur o the r arm swings
up in fro nt o f your bo dy.
 The Exercises 4-3

Breathing
Breathe freely.

Pointers
Don't drop the back heel. Be on the ball of the back foot. Lean
forward slightly at all times in the ginga, and remember it's a dance
step, so get into a rhythm and swing from side to side. "Ginger"
is the verb "to swing" in Portuguese.
Don't straighten t he front leg or raise the front toes when you
do ginga . Note: The description says to slide your foot back; it
doesn't have to keep contact with the floor, although it doesn 't rise
very high either, maybe just one or two inches .

Health and Fitness Benefits

This is a great exercise for balance and coordination. If you do it
to music, try various tempos; at a faster rhythm it is a good aerobic
excrcrse.

'C ~
l' .

-
.... ~- ..
44 (APOE IRA CO ND ITI O NI NG

5, Ginga with a Reve rse Twi st

at the Wa ist
Flexibility-stretch. Coord ination. Agility.
Car d ia. Fa t Burner.

Movemen t
Do ginga in a similar way to the regul a r movem ent , except when
your weight is o n the ball of the back right foo t, twis t at the waist
to your left, taking your left ann straight o ut beh ind you and look-
ing over your left sho ulde r.
Stay in this po sition for a bear and then shift back to the frontal
position , swap legsas in regular ginga , and when your left foot is hilly
extended back, twist to the righ t in the Same way, righ t arm extended
be hind yo u and looking over yo ur right sho ulde r.

Breathing
Br eathe freely.

Poin ters
T wist fully and try to reach back and ro tate yo ur waist , spine, and
neck as fur as yo u call fo r ma xim um be nefit . Im agine yo u arc wring-
ing Water from a towel as yo u twist your wais t.

H ealth and FitnessBenefits

This ro tatio n o f yo ur spi n e and neck loosens you lip for many
capoeira movements, helping to maintain mobili ty an d fluidity the
whole lengt h of your bad e
T he Exe rci ses 45
CA POE IR A CO ND I T I O NI N G

6 . Ginga w it h a Full Tw ist at the W aist

Flexibility-stretch. Coordination . Agili ty. C ardio.
Fat Burner.

Movemen t
This is based on a similar prin ciple to th e last exercise; th e differ -
ence is th at }'OU tw ist coward yo ur back leg rathe r tha n away fro m
it. rn the photo , t he capocirista begins with his left leg back and
straight and right k g front and be nt (as in a ginga). H e then fully
ro tates first h is head , t hen sho ulde rs, then waist, all to the left, in a
s ou-d egree rotation , and swivels on his feet, so that his righ t leg is
straight ened and left leg bent. H e ends lip loo king to the fro nt
again, having rotated as far as he can witho ut taking a step. T hen
co me back to th e o riginal positio n , do o ne ginga to ch ange fee t,
and repeat t he movement in the opposite direction .

Breathing
Breath e frccl y.

Poin ters
In the ph oto, it looks as if the player has take n a step . He hasn 't.
I t is the fuU s on-degree twist of the head and torso, an d the swivel
o n the feet that gives this impression . A step co mes only when th e
player centers up again , and does a single ginga to change feet to do
the exercise in the othe r directio n .

H ealth and Fitness Benefi ts

T he same as for the previous exercise. T his is a good mobility exer-
cise, giving an e xcellent spin al twist and incr easin g lightn ess and
agility on the balls of th e feet .
 T he Exercises 4-7

..
CA PO EI RA C O ND ITIONIN G

7. Ging a with Cocorinha Squat

Flexibility-stretch. Agility. Oardio . Power. Coordination.
Accelerat ed Fat Burner.

M ovement
In this tough exercise yo u com bine No . 3 and No.4 togeth er for
a very effective wo rko ut. Begin in basic coco rinha position and as
you come up slide your right leg back into a ginga movement . O nce
the right leg co mes forward and parallel again, drop into cocor -
inha. Spring up, sliding th e left foot to t he back. Alternate using
ginga from side to side with a cocorin ha in the middle positio n.

Breathing
Tr y nasal breathing: exhale o n th e way d own, and inhale on the
way up.

Poin ters
Get into a rhyth m with this and shoo t for LOO reps in 5 minutes,
200 in 10 min utes, or 300 (even more if yo u're very conditioned ) in
15 min utes. Co unt each drop into cocorinha as a single repetition.
You can also do the coc o n nha-ginga co mbinatio n with a reverse
twist (No. 5) or ginga with a fu Utwist at the waist (No. 6).

H ealth and Fitn ess Benefits

Thi s is a fantas tic conditioning workout for your heart and lungs,
your lower back, your ankles, your spine, and your thighs. If you
do this co mbination for 5, 10, or 15 minutes yo u'll find it really gets
your hear t pumping and works up a sweat.
The Exercises 49
50 CAP O E I R A CO N D I T I O N I N G

8 . W r ist Rotat ion

F lexi bility-st ret ch.
N ote: Your body is on ly as stro ng as its weakest link, and in capoeira
tha t weakest link is o ften the wrist . Don 't neglect to warm up and
stretch your wrists thoroughly before doing bridges or cartwheels
(<<au" in capoeira). It is better to exert pressur e on your wrists in
a grad ed, steady way than to immediatel y launch into a jarring au-
type movement o r a bananeira, which may create a glitch in yo ur
wrist that will spoil yo ur wo rkout.
Even experie nce d capoeiristas so metimes find t hat after one
mo ve ment with d 1C weight on their bands, one wrist is giving them
pain. T herefore , do so me of these wrist war m-u ps every tim e yo u
play capoeira or do any capceira conditioning exercises that require
you to hold yo ur weight o n the hands.

Movement
H old your arms stra ight out in fro nt of you at shou lder height with
the wrists bent a.nd fing ers pointing upward . Rotate wrists so the
fingers move inward , the n down ward , th en outward . Ro tat e 25
times in this d irection , and then 25 tim es in the other direction.

Breathing
Breathe freely.

Pointers
You may find that yo u r shoulders, for ear ms, and wrists become
fatigued by doi ng the recommen ded 50 reps total. Persevere and
try to focus on putting the wrists through the fullest range of move-
ment. If you get tired , slow down, breathe deeply, and try to relax
yo ur shoulders as you rotate your wrists.
 T he Exe rc ise s 5'

H ealth and Fitness Benefi ts

Wrist tension or mo vemen t restriction will impede capocira profi-
ciency and make certain movements (for instan ce, the bridge ) mo re
diffic ult . Mo bility in the wrists will increase the mo bility in your
elbows and sho uld ers too. The warm -up win h elp prevent Inju ry
to th e hands' nerves and tendons.

\i,I~,
'
S2 C AP O E I RA CO N D I T IO NI NG

9, cabecada (static post ure)

Balance. Strength.

M ovement
Start in a cocorinha and lunge forward slowly, walking you r hands
into a static push- up position . Keep yo ur head , spine, pelvis, and
straight legs in alignment. A variation is to rep eat the walk from
cccorinha into sratic cabccada, back and forth slowly an d with con-
trol as many tim es as yo u like. Just start in the squat, tip forward
placing your palms on th e fl oor , and walk forward on your han ds,
keeping the balJs of the feet where th ey are. Th en when the body
is fully extended in the cabccada, walk back on the hands and resume
th e o rigina l cocorin ha sq uat position . Repeat 10, 20, or 30 times.

Breathing
O nce yo u are in position try to take between 6 and 10 deep inhala-
tio ns and exha lations th ro ugh the no se.

Pointers
Try no t to sag at the waist . As well as stretchi ng your wrisrs, thi s
will give you a powerful contractio n in your shoulders. Stretch your
fi ngers wide and concentrate as you breath e; feel the fl ow of energy
d own your ar ms into yo ur hands as you exhale.

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

Builds strengt h in your sho ulders, arms, and wrists.
The Exerci se s 53
S4 CA P O E I RA CON D I T I ON I N G

10. Reverse Wrist Pre ss Against t he Wa ll

Plexib ili ty ~S t retch .

Movement
Place th e back of your hands against the wall and lean against them
with straight arm s to get an opposite stretch to the previous move-
ment.

Breathing
Sim ilar to N o . 9 .

Pointers
Keep your arms straight and ge t an increased stretch by raising the
level of yo ur bands upward fro m the floor.

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

A5 in N o .8 .
The exe rcises 55
56 CA PO E I R A CO ND I TIO N I N G

11 . W rist Stretch Again st t he Wa ll

F lexibility-stretch .

Mo vement
Stan d leaning against the wall with yo ur arms straight an d palms
flat against the wall, fingers po inting u pward .

Breathing
Similar to No . 9 .

Pointers
By lo wering yo ur hands and the angle of you r arm s you will increase
the angle o f the stretch on your wrist .

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

The be nefi ts arc those desc ribed for the other wrist-mo bility move-
ments.
 The Exercises 57

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58 ( APO EI R A CO ND ITIO N I N G

12 . Ba sic Bridge Warm-Up

FlexibiIity-st re tch .

Movement
Stand with your back to a wall, arch yo ur back, and st retch your
arms upward and backward so that th e palms of your hands touch
th e wall when yo ur arms are straight. Keep your feet flat on th e
flo or, parallel, and approximately shoulder-width apart.

Breathing
Six deep inhal ations and exh alatio ns through the nostrils.

Pointers
Make sure you stand neither too far from nor tOO d ose to the wall.
Position yourself so yo u can comfortably reach t he wall and per-
form a full stretch with your straigh t arms back. Look back at the
wall for a full stretch from the base of your spine to your neck.

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

Backward bending compresses the spinal vertebrae and will expand
yo ur abdomen and chest, which in tu rn enables yo u to breath e
more deeply.
Th e Exerc ises 59
60 CA PO E I RA CO N DIT I O N I N G

13 " Basic Forward Ben d

Flexib ility-stretch .

M ovement
Stand upright and ben d for ward from the waist, touchi ng the palms
o f yo ur hands 0 11 th e floor in fro nt of yo ur feet , if possib le. For
people with stiff legs , keep th em slightly bent and feel the stretch at
the back o f your pelvis. I f yo u arc supple, keep the kn ees strai ght
for a full stretch.

Breathing
Dee p nasal br eathing for 6 breaths.

Pointers
When you exhale) allow yo ur head and sho ulders to d rop down -
ward toward yo ur feet .

H ealth a n d Fitness Benefits

Fo rward bendin g is impo rtant for full spinal fitn ess. After yo u have
been doing any backward spinal bending movements (such as No .
12, t he basic b ridge war m -up ) it is a good idea to d o a basic for-
ward bend fo r balance and to release and len gthen the spine. The
forward be nd with st raight legs will also stre tch yo ur hamstrings
for greater flexibility in your legs. Ho ldin g the position and breath-
ing will tone your waist and bring elasticity to yo ur spine .
Th e Exe rcises 61
62 CA P O E IRA CO ND I TIO N I NG

14 Pont e ( back bridg e)

Flexibility-stretch. Strength.

Movement
Lie flat 0 11 your back. Raise yo u r elbows and press the palms o f
your hands onto the floor by your cars, so that the tips of your fin-
gers are d irec ted toward yo ur feet . Bend yo ur knees so that your
feet are drawn up against yo ur bu ttocks. Yo ur feet and lower legs
sho uld be app roxima tely sho ulder-wid th apar r and parallel.
As yo u exhale , raise yo ur pel vis and to rso an d straighte n o ut
you r arms so that yo ur head rises from th e floo r, arms straight . In
the full versio n , the soles o f yo ur feet remain flat on th e 1100 1'.
To co me o u t of the bridge bring your chin to yo ur chest and
slowly lower yourself o nto your sho ulde rs, then lie flat , or roll up
o nto your feet in to a coco rinha.

Breathing
While hold ing the bridge, breathe deeply throu gh t he nose. T ry
for 3, 6, or 10 fu ll, deep breaths. Always foc us on brea th ing; while
you arc brid gin g . If yo u are stiff and hold your breath o r tr y to
force the movement , it will make it more difficult.

Pointers
If yo u are on a slippe r y fl oo r and eith er yo ur ha nds or yo ur feet
keep slipp ing, try wearing th in ru b be r-so led shoes and wet t he
palms of yo ur hands slightly so they don 't slip. Relax yo ur head so
it drops down nat urally between yo ur ar ms.
 The Exe rcises

Health and Fitness Benefits

T he back bridge gives a str on g stretch to th e front of your body,
and the spine is lengthen ed by the arch . T his expands your ch est
and abdomen. T he wrists and ankles are stre ngthe ned and th e cir-
culation is stim ulated.
( A PQ E JR A C O N D I T I O N J N G

15 ~ac k Bridge (heels ra ised)

Flexibili ty-stretch . Stren gth.

Movement
Lie Hat o n you r back. Raise you r elb ow s and p ress the palms of
yo ur hands onto the floor by your cars, so that the tips ofyour fin -
gers arc di rected toward yo ur feet. Bend yo ur knees so tha t your
feet arc d rawn up again st your buttocks . Your feet and lower legs
shou ld be approximately sho ulder-wid th apart and parallel.
As yo u exhal e, raise you r pelvis and to rso an d straig hten o ut
your arm s so that yo ur head rises fro m the fl oor, arms straigh t. I n
this (the easier) versio n , raise you r heels and support yo urself 0 11
the balls of you r feet.
To co me out o f the brid ge bring yo ur ch in to yo ur chest and
slow ly lower you rself onto your shoulde rs, the n lie flat, or ro ll up
on to yo ur feet into a coco rinha.

Breathing
While ho lding the bridge, breath e dee ply t hro ugh the nose. Try
for 3, 6, or 10 full, d eep breaths. Always focus on bre athing while
you arc brid ging . If yo u are stiff and hold your breat h o r try to
force th e movemen t, it will make it more difficult.

Pointers
If yo u are on a slippe ry floor and eit her your hand s o r yo ur feet
keep slipp ing, try wearing th in rubbe r-soled shoes and wet th e
palms o f your han ds slightly so they don't slip. Relax you r h ead so
it d rops down naturally between your arms. This on -your-toes ver-
sion is an easier o prio n for people who are stiffer in their hips or
shou lders.
 T he Exercise s 65

Health and Fitness Benefits

The back bridge gives a strong stretch to the front of your body,
and the spine is lengthen ed by the arch. T his expands your chest
and abdomen. The wrists and ankles are strengthened and the circu-
lation is stimulated.
66 ( A PO E I RA C ON D I TI ON I N G

16" Back Bridge (assisted stretch)

F lexibility-stretch. Stre n gth.

Movement
T his is the same as for t he basic bridge or the basic bridge o n yo ur
roes . In this case yo u can wo rk with :I. par m er who will sta nd at
yo ur head ; once you have reached your full length wit h rho bridge,
th ey pu t the ir hand und er you r should er blades and gentl y pu ll up
to assist you in lockin g o ut your arms for t he full stretch .

Breathing
While hold ing the bridge, breat he deeply t hrough the nose. T ry
for 3, 6, o r 10 fuJ I, deep breaths. Always foc us 0 11 breat hing while you
arc bridging . If yo u are stiff and hold yo ur bre ath or tr y to fo rce
th e movement, it will m ake it more difficult.

Poin ters
The person suppo rting sho uld not be pulling you up as if hoisting
a heavy o bject . They assist your own effo rt and whe n you reach a
stickin g po int (for ins tance, yo ur el bows arc st ill ve ry bent), they
ge ntl y pull to assist yo u in stra ightening them . If the)' hoist , th ey
will merely lift you r hand s o ff the floo r o r d rag yo u along . T he
assiste d str etch can be done with h eels up o r down , thou gh heels
down g ives you the longer str etch.

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

The back bridge gives a strong str etch to the fro nt o f your body,
an d the sp ine is len gth ened by the arch . T his expand s yo ur chest
and a bdo men. T he wrists and ankles arc str engthened and the cir-
culatio n is sti mulated .
The e xe re-ses 67
68 CA PO E IR A C O N D I TI O N I N G

1]. Adva nced Back Bridge

(wit h leg raised)
F lexibility-stretch. Stren gth . Ba lance.

M ovement
Begin this as if for a basic back bridge and th en p ush lip into the
full bridge. Raise one leg toward the ceiling and hold th e po sition .
Lo wer the leg again and get stable, then raise the othe r leg. Thi s
can be done with yo ur sup por ting foot flat, or o n yo ur roes.

Breathing
Gauge how lo ng yo u hold the raised -leg position by cou nti ng yo ur
breaths. For example, yo u mig ht tr y holding each leg high for"
counr o f S full cy cles o f inha larion and exhalatio n .

Pointers
Keep driving your hips upward as yo u raise your leg, as if you arc
pushing the ball o f your extend ed foor toward the ceiling.

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

A<:, well as the bc'):fits already desc ribed for bridges, this movement
will strengthen you for many capoeira tech niques, such as walkove rs)
"rn acacos," "S dobrados,' and vario us types of r moenda" for which
a stro ng , flexible spine and shoulders are a g reat hel p .
T he Exercises 69
70 (A P O E I R A CO N D I T IO N I N G

Back Bridg e Push-U ps

Flexibility-stre tch . Strength. Pow er. Ba lanc e. Cardio.

Movement
D o a full basic back bridge. At th e end o f the movem ent , take your
chin to yo ur chest and lower yourself un til you r shoulders to uch the
floor, then dro p yo ur h ips and lo wer your back flat on t he floor.
Immediately raise your hips and pu sh straight back up again to a
full bridge with arms locked our straight. Repeat 10, 20, or 30 times.

Breathing
Inhale o n the way down , and exhale on the way up . Try to ge t into
a groove, inh aling and exha ling in time wit h the back bridge push-
ups. If you find full na sal breathing difficult, inhale through yo ur
nose and exhale th ro ugh your mouth .

Pointers
Yo u can vary this by p ressing up an d down o nly from your shou l-
ders, without lowe ring your back between each rep. Remem ber to
dip yo ur chin in onto your chen so yo ur shoulders reach th e floo r.
This variation is a bridge p ush -up you ca rl do at a rapi d pace to
build springiness and power into your shoulders . You migh t tr y the
regu lar bac k bridge push-up s more slowly, co ncen trating o n yo ur
breath ing and squeezing o ur the movement at the top of the bridge .

Hea lth and Fitness Benefits

Bac k bridge pu sh -ups bu ild power and flexibili ty in your back,
sh ould ers, wrists , and thighs. This is a whole-b o dy exe rcise that
uses all yo ur major muscle groups and is highly reco mmen ded as
a capoeira conditioni ng exercise .
T he Exer cises 71
72 CAP O EIR A CO N D I T I O N I N G

19, One-Armed Bri dge ( push-up opt io nal)

Flexi bility-stret ch. Stren gth. P ower. Balance.

M ovement
From a fuU bridge position raise one ann and lay it on yo ur chest.
Replace it and change arm to the other side. l fyo u feci inspired,
try lo wering for a one- ar med bridge push-up. T his is an advanced
movement and will be interesting as a var iatio n only to th ose who
arc vcry confident in the o ther exercises o f the brid ge sequence.

Breathing
Inhale on the way dow n , and exhale on th e way up . T ry to get int o
a gro ove, inhaling and exhaling in time with the one-arm ed bridge
pu sh -ups. If yo u find full nasal breath ing difficu lt , in hale through
yo ur nose and exhale thro ugh yo ur mouth .

Pointers
Use your fi ngertips to maintain your balance, an d keep th e fingers
spread as wide as possible to help with th is.

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

As a static movem ent th is is great for strength and balance, and as
a push -up it intensifies the exerc ise by isol ati ng the effort to one
arm and shou lder.
The Exer cise s 73
74 CA POE IR A CO N DIT I O N I N G

20 . No Cheat Br idg e
Flexib ili ty-stretch. Balance. Strength. Coordination.

Movemen t
Tills is called a no cheat bridge because in capocira you don't to uch
your back to the gro und . Start in cocorinha, and place yo ur lett
hand 0 11 the floo r be h ind your left foo t. Raise yo ur hips as high as
you can and reach back over yo ur head with your right hand , loo k-
ing behi nd you rself be twe en your arms. Keepi ng your hips hig h,
place th e: rig ht hand o n the floor pa rallel with yo ur left hand . T he
fingertips o f yo ur two hand s should be poin ted to ward each other.
N ow rest th e weigh t o n you r righ t hand , bring up th e left hand ,
drop you r hips, and move into a cocorinh a . Re pea t t he same
seq uen ce back in the other d irectio n .

Breathing
Breathe freely.

Pointers
Alway s do t he wrist wa rm -up (No . 8- 11) before doing thi s mo ve-
mcur and preferably the gin ga with a reverse twist (N o . 5) to warm
up yo ur wa ist a nd sho ulders. T his is an exe rcise best done whi te
you arc fully wa rmed up . Note th at by aim ing th e: finge rtips of th e
two hands toward each o ther yo u will avoid twisting your wr ists.
If yo u find it ve ry di fficult, simply get to the stage whe re you reach
back, hold th at position, taking 5 deep breat hs, and then drop your
hips and go into coco rinha again, repeating; this on the other side.
As your body ada pts, you can move o n to the full movem ent.

H ealth and Fitness Benefi ts

T he front of you r body gets a very effective stre tch while your spine
 The e xe rc tse s 75

is arche d. Mobility in your sho ulders will be increased , which will

en han ce t he fluidity of yo ur movemen ts. You r wr ist and ankle
strength increases. The movement has overall benefi ts for yo ur cir-
cu latio n, and many glands and internal organs.
76 CA POE IR A CO N D ITI O N I N G

21 . Wa ll W heel Bridge
Flexi bility-stretc h . Strength . Balance.

M ovement
Get into a position with yo ur back to the wall, as in t he basic bridge
warm-up (No. 12). Lea n back and press th e palms of your hands
against th e wall, then hand by hand , walk yourself down until th e
cro wn of your head is on the floor. I m mediatel y walk yourself up
again un til yo u arc standing relaxed . Do 5 or 10 repetiti ons of the
wall wheel bridge .

Breathing
Breathe freely.
 T he ax e rctses 77

Poin ters
Safety is an issue here as you do not wan t [Q slip down th e wall and
bang yo ur head on the floor. M ake sure yo u ar e a good distance
from the wall, n o t tOO far, not toe dose. Lead with your hands so
that th ey get to th e floor before yo ur head does. Don't sta nd o n a
rug that moves or do this against a door tha t someo ne might open.
If your hands arc slippery, moisten them sligh tly so they don 't slip
on the wall.

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

T his is ano t he r whole- body exercise th at co nd itions ever yth ing
fro m yo ur glute us maximus to your abs. If you combine this with
th e basi c fo rw ard bend ( N o. 13), it is a ver y good all- aro un d
streng the ner, stretch, and to ner for your legs, back, and sho ulders.
It also expands your chest an d for ces your body to work in move-
ment through the brid ge position.

..
CAPO E IRA CO ND I TI ON IN G

22 ," Br idge Wa lk ing

P lexi b illty-strcrch. Stren gth . Ba lance. Card io.
Coordination .

Movement
Do the basic back bridge and then walk fo rward one hand and o ne
foo t at a time . If yo u are in an enclosed space, walk forward a few
steps and th en walk backward a few steps . Try to continue bridge
walking for 2 o r 3 min utes , afte r which time y O ll will probably be
exhausted, and you can lie flat on your back and squeeze your knees
up to your chest.

Breathing
Breathe freely.

Pointers
For most peo ple this is a tou gh exercise, so work slo wly but surely.
Tr y to breathe and focus and enjoy each step, thinking ho w much
mo re lithe and flexible it is making you, rather tha n yearnin g for it
to be over. In t his way you gain maximum benef it fro m the move-
m cnt a nd it's more fun. Keep you r neck relaxed wit h your head
hanging down between you r arms.

H ealth and Fitness Benefi ts

The benefits here are the same as for a basic back bridge; the move-
ment will increase coordination skills and build strength and flex-
ibiliry in your back, shoulders, wrists, legs, and hips. Bridge walking
is an excellen t exercise for capoeira .
T he Exe rcises 79
80 CAPO EI RA COND I T I ONI N G

23 , Esqui va Late ral

F lexib ility -stretch. Balance.

M ovement
Sta nd with yo ur teet sho ulde r-wid th apart , feet paralicI. Bend one
knee and support yo ur weig ht o n the pa lm o f yo ur hand o n the
same side as your bent knee. For a full stretch y O lI can extend yo ur
othe r arm o ur straight beyond your head . Keep your hips low and
hold the positio n for 6 breaths. C hange and do th e same thing to
the ot her side.

Breathing
Take deep breath s thro ugh th e nose.

Poin ters
T he foo t o f the ben t leg can be poi nted outward slightly in align-
ment with the leg . T he other leg sho uld be completely straight and
th e hips low. Do n' t let your upper shoulder slouch fo rwa rd, and
try to keep your who le bod y in alignment .

H ealth and Fitn ess Benefits

A good lateral stretch for the sp ine, benefi cial for toni ng up your
spinal nerves. T his exercise is also a warm-up for the au wor kou t.
The sx erctse s 81
( A POEIR A COND ITI O N I NG

24 . AU W arm-Up
Flexibility-stret ch . Stre ngth. Balance.

Movement
Do th e csq uiva late ral (N o. 23) position . Place th e palm o f your
ou tstretched arm beyond your head and on to the floo r. Raise your
straight leg and po int the toe. Hold the pos itio n for 6 breaths, and
the n drop back into the csq uiva late ral position . Yo u can do the
wholc sequence six ti mes, th ree to the left and three to the right .

Breathing
D o deep nasal breathing, co ncentrati ng on staying relaxed whi le
ho lding your balance.

Pointers
Your weigh t should be eq ually distributed between yo ur two han ds
and your support foot . Keep the uppe r foot's toe po inted to give a
stretch to the ankl e. To give an extra stretch to your calf and sup-
parr leg , yo u can rise up and down o n the toe of th at foot a few
time s if you like. You r support leg will straigh ten in th is movement,
an d then revert to its be n t position wh en yo u d rop into esq uiva
lateral again.

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

T his moveme nt gives a lateral stretch to the spine, and strength-
ens your wrists and shoulders. T he rising and lowering stre tch will
give yo ur calves a nd ankles a workout . T his is also an excell e nt
movement fo r your balance.
The Exe rc ises
(AP O EI R A CON D IT IO N IN G

25 . Au Normal (cartwheel)
Fl exi bility-stretch. Strength . Balance. Agility. Cardio.
Fat Burner. Coordinatio n .

Movem ent
Stand with feet sho ulde r-wid th apart . Do csquiva lateral (No. 23),
then au war m -up (N o. 24 ), launch ove r in a cartw heel so yo u e nd
up in an austretch o n the other side, drop into an csquiva lateral on
tha t side, and come up into a standing position . Do th e same thing
back in th e other d irection. Repeat 10, 20, or 30 rimes. Always all
in both directions to develop balance in your mus culature.

Breathing
Breathe frecly.

Poin ters
As y O ll see, the all is a cartwheel. Wh en yo u do this have you r inner
support hand q uite close to your foo t on takeoff and landin g . Keep
your legs straight and lise th e waist for precision and mo mentum on
the way over. Remember, you control the cartwheel-th e cartwheel
doesn 't co ntrol you. Always all a n the flat palms of your hands (and
warm up you r wrists first ). Safety co nsidera tion : M ake sure you
have plenty o f ro om fo r this exercise, so if you ru m ble otT balance
you do n' t hit anyth ing .
You can vary this by doing an all normal, but keep the palms of
yo ur ha nds on the floor and simp ly aLI from side to side, working
your waist with the bo dy always align ed ( t he hands rem ain on th e
ground as yo u flip from side to side, 10 to 20 repetitions). This vari-
arion is a great aerobic exercise and will build strength in you r arms
and flexibility in your spine and hips.
 The Exe rc ises 85

Health and Fitness Ben efits

A good exercise for yo ur obliq ue m uscles. Grea t for balance and
coord ination . Doi ng th is with man y repe titions will build strength
in your arms and shoulders and help build stamina. All is an impor-
tant movement in capocira.
86 CAP QE IR A CO N D I TI O N I NG

26 . Au W a lkbac k
Fl exibility-stretch. Stren gth. Balance. Agility. C ar di o .
Fa t Burn er. Coo rdination.

Movement
This movemen t is exactly the same in practice as au nor mal, th ough
becau se you st ep back for th e initial pushoff yo u sta y in the same
spot as yo u do the movem en t.
Stan d with you r feet sho ulder-width apart. Ste p one leg back
behind the other and place th e flat palm o f your hand on the floo r.
Lift yo ur fro nt leg and push o ff from the back leg into an au. If
yo u push off from yo ur left leg yo u will land o n the righ t and vice
versa.

Breathing
Breathe freely.

Pointers
T his is an exe rcise yo u can do in a sm all space (because yo u stay in
th e same spot ). Lan d as lightly as you can . Once you have learned
to land lightly and stay in the same spot, you can even do it in a
sm all ha rd room. Use yo ur waist as m uch as yo u can an d learn to
flip your body fro m side to side keepin g the band s d ose to the feet
and d oing mos t o f the work with th e waist .

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

T his is a good exercise for yo ur o bliq ue muscles. Great for balance
and coo rdina tion . Doi ng t his wit h many re pe titio ns will b uil d
str en gt h in your arms and shoulde rs and help build stamina.
Th e Ex erci se s
88 ( AP O E IRA CO NDIT IO N I NG

27, AU Push-U ps
Flexibility-stretch . Strength. Balan ce. Cardi o .

Movement
Start off in au warm -up (No. 24) position. Bend both your arms
and to uc h the top of your head on the fl oor, then push back up
into the straight-armed 01 (1 warm -up position. Repe at 10 tim es co
the righ t and 10 times to the left,

Breathing
Inhale on the way down, and exhale as you push back up.

Pointers
Have yo ur hands firmly planted o n their palms. Tr y to lock both
arms ou t stra ight when you reach the top of the mo veme nt. Keep
your whole body in alignm ent. Go up an d down slowly and steadily,
in unison wit h yo ur breat hing.

H ealth and Fitness Benefi ts

T his builds strength in the sho ulders and t riceps. I t is also a go od
stre ngth bu ilder for th e back) and as prep aratio n for the ban an eira
push-up.
The Exe rci ses

"...
.~:" '\
90 CA P O E I RA C ON D IT IO N IN G

28 , Au Pist ols
Flexi bility-stretch. Power. Strength . Balan ce.
Card ia. Fat Burner. Coor dination .

Movement
Do au normal (No . 25 ), launchin g o ff from your right foo t , land -
ing on you r left foot . When yo u land o n yo ur left foo t , keep th e
righ t leg extended o ut dir ectly in fro nt of you . Drop into a on e-
legged squa t and push up again. With out pu tting your right leg on
the gro und , launch into an ali normal ill rhc other direction , land-
ing on yo ur right fo ot. Do th e sq uat (pisto l) with left leg exten ded
and come up again , th en back in th e ot her di rec tion . Rep eat the
move m ent 10, 20, o r 30 tim es.

Breathing
Breath e freely.
 The Exe rc ises 91

Pointers
You can up th e intensit y of this seq uence by increasing th e repeti -
rion of p isto ls between au normals. For example, d o five pistol
squats betw een aus instead of one. Keep yo ur extend ed leg directly
ou t straigh t in fro nt of you, and you can bring your hands forward
for balance. Keep you r supporti ng foo t flat to maximize balan ce
and the stretch for your an kle.

Health and Fit ness Benefits

In this exercise you combine aU the benefi ts d erived from th e all
nor mal with the incredi ble power-bu ilding potential o f the one-
legged (pistol) squa t. It is an excellent exercise for overall balance
and fo rces yo u to fo cus o n lan d ing from yo ur all normal with
enough control to rem ain stan d ing o n o ne leg . H igh repetitions
of pistol s will build sp ringiness in your legs and power for kicking
and is beneficial to your stamina.
92 CA PO E JRA CO N D ITIONI N G

29. Neg ativa Lateral

Flexi bility-stretch. Strength. Balance.

Movem ent
Do an csq uiva lateral positio n. Stre tch o ne ann out beyond yo ur
head and place th e palm of the hand o n the floor. T urn the kn ee
of your bent leg inward and drop down low so t hat you are virt u-
ally parallel with the floor. Yo u arc looking to the fro nt with your
head poised in the midd le o f yo ur arms. Come up into cocoriuha
and do the same th in g to the Other sid e. Rep eat t he p rocess 10
times .

Breathing
Inh ale as you move into the positi on, and exhale as yo u move back
up into the cocori nha . It is also advisable to hold the position for two
o r t hree inhalat ions an d exh alatio ns, to get a st atic wo rkou t fo r
stre ng th , a good stretch, and end urance .

Pointers
D o n't lay on the gr o und here. Your h ip a nd lowe r leg sho uldn ' t
be to uching the floor, b ut poised just above it . Ge t into a groove and
switch from side to side more rapidly tor a good stre ngth-build ing
workout th at will increase aerobic capacity.

Health an d Fitness Benefi ts

T his will build powe r and spring iness in yo ur ar ms, and flexibility
in yo ur shoulders. Like csquiva lateral, n egative lateral stretches
yo ur spine late rally, which is very be neficial to th e spinal nerves.
The cocorinh a betw een ncgativa movemen ts is also good for yo ur
lower spin e an d sacroiliac joints.
Th e Exe rc ise s 93
94- CA PO E I R A C OND I T IONING

30. M oend a w it h Crown of t he Head

on t he Floor
Fl exibility-stretch . Strength. Agility. C oor dinati o n .

Movemen t
Cocorinha (N o . 1), the n d o a negative lateral (N o . 29 ) and place
t he c rown o f yo ur head o n the floor between your hands . Arching
your back a little, walk yo ur feet and trunk arou nd behind you in a
semi-circle (keeping yo ur head and th e palms of your hands on the
ground ) until you arc in a ncgativa lateral o n th e o ther side, the n
push LIp into a cocorinha (No . 1) again . D o exactly the sam e th ing
back in th e other directio n.

Breathing
Breath e de eply and freely.

Poin ters
Face the front all th e way th rough this movemen t. It is your who le
body tha t is moving 180 degrees in a semi-circle back behind yo ur
head , while your head stays in exactly the same place, between yo ur
hands, facing in th e same direction . Work slowly and steadily, breath-
ing fo r concentra tion. If you reach a sticking point, tr y not to col-
lapse and give up, bur relax an d analyze th e situation, thinking what
you have to do with yo ur feet, hips, and waist to get your trunk
around to the o rhe r side.

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

T his unusual movemen t is nowhere near as difficult as it looks . It
frees up the hips, spine , neck , and sh oulders, and works t he body
th.ro ugh an un usual range o f moveme nt . Mobility will be increased,
as will m uscular stren gth .
T he E xer(i~e~ 95
CAPOE IR A CO N DITI O N I N G

31. Mo e nda on t he Ha nds

Plexi biliry-stretch . S trength . Agility. Coor d inati on.

M ovemen t
T his movement, [ike ncgativa lateral , is perfect for the low game
of capoeira (jogo de baixo ). Yo u begin the movement in th e same
way as N o . 30, but th is time d o no t place the crown o f yo ur head
on the fl oor. Instead , bring your chin in to you r chest, so that your
bod y weigh t is distribu ted between your han ds and feet . Walk your
feet around in a sem i-circle behind yourself wh ile maintaining your
bod y weight evenly betw een hands and feet. TIle back of your head
sho uld be poised parall el to the floor, an inch or two above th e
floor, all the way throug h the moveme nt .

Breathing
As for No. 30 .

Pointe rs
The sam e as for N o . 30, an d the angl e o f your head will rem ain so
you can loo k i.n front of yo u i.n between your arms and hands . Do
not rest the back of your head and shoul ders on th e floo r, although
it's possible they ma y brush against the floo r lightly as you do the
mo vement. Your hips remain q uire low during m ocnda; it is a dif-
ferent movem ent from the bridge (where the hips are thrust higher).

He alth and Fitness Benefits

These are th e same as for No . 30, with t he added work that your
wrists are doing. The movement is increasin g the range of motion
in your shoulders, is rotating the spin e, and is an excellent toning
exercise for th e whole upper body. Moenda can be hard work bu t
is highl y recom mended fo r capoeira co ndi tioning .
T he axercues 97
CA P OE I RA CO N D IT I O N I N G

32 , Queda de Quat ro-Chapa

Flexib ility-stretc h .

M ovement
This is a fro nt kick delivered from the floor. Do a cocori nh a (No .
J). Keeping your feet flat on the flo or, tip back o nto yo ur hands,
with your fingertips directed away from yo ur bod y. You r body
weight is now evenly distributed between your two hands and two
feet , hence the name "queda de quatro" (falling on four ). Imme-
diately raise one leg and thrust it upward with your hips. Th is thrust
upwar d o f yo ur st raight leg is th e kick called " ch apa. " Collapse
your hips back down into qucda de quatro again and thrust lip your
straight leg kick o n th e o th er side . Th is can be do ne from a flat
foot or o n the to es, as demo nstrated in the photo. Repeat side to
side stead ily.
 Th e Exe rc ises 99

Breathing
Inhale in queda de quatro and exhale as you thr ust up in to the
chapa kick. O r you can hold the movement at the top o f the kick. and
remain static for 5 or 6 deep inhalatio ns an d exhalations while in
the chapa position. In the latter exercise, just remember to exhale
on th e way I Ip and inhale o n the way down .

Poin ters
T hrust you r hips as high as yo u can an d straighten yo ur kicking
leg .

Health and Fitness Benefits

H ere the front of your body is given a stron g stretch along its whole
lengt h. Th is stimulates yo ur circulat or y syste m an d is a fantastic
stretch fo r your legs, chest , sho ulders, and abdomen. Th e mo bil-
ity of your pelvis will be improved , and a fu.ll fron t-body stretch is
beneficial for to ning th e nervous system.

>,
r '.
' 00 ( A POE I R A C O N D I T I O N ING

33. Plantanda Bananei ra ( handst and)

Strength. Balance.

Movement
Planranda bananci ra in capoc ira means to plant a banan a tree. I t's
a handstand . Do this movement against the wall for training, and as
you build strength and balance, you can work away nom th e wall.
Place yo ur han d s in fro nt o f th e wall abo ut 5 to 10 inc hes away
from it, fi ngertips facing t he wall and hand s shoulder-wid th apar t.
Push up into a handstand with your heels resting against me wall,
legs straight, body straigh t and in full alig nm ent , head facing fo rward
between yo ur arms. Hold th e position for 10 deep breath s.

Breathing
Breath e deeply th ro ug h the nose.

Pointers
Stay centered and don 't allow you r legs to lean to one side wh ile
holdi ng t he movem en t . Keep your elbow s locked and tr y to grip
the floor with wide-open fingertips. It is yo ur fingers that will do the
work of balance in th is han dstand, while the heel of yo ur hand is
simply a pad th at helps sup po rt your weight. H o ld the position as
long as it feels O K; when your stre ngth begins to wane , push off
from the wall with your feet, bend at the waist, and land back on
yo ur feet as lightly as you can .
 The Exe rci ses 101

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

Your spine is limbe red up , arm and sho ulder strength increase) and
you also wo rk your abdominal muscles. An excellent torso strength
exe rc ise, and as so m any moveme n t s in capoeira are in verted ,
bananeira is useful for balance . T he handsta nd is prim ary training
fur many gymnastic movements and is subsequently central to gym-
nastic and acro batic training. Static inver ted postures arc also excel-
lent fo r th e circulatio n when combined with d eep breathing .
10 2 C A POE I R A C OND IT IO NIN G

34 Ban aneira Push-Up

P ower. Stren gth . Balance. Agility.

M ovement
D o a bananeira (No . 33) ag ainst th e wa ll. Slow ly lo wer yo urself
unti l th e crown of your head touches the g ro und Lightl y. I mmedi-
ately push lip into the ba nanc ira again, with yo ur elbows lock ed .
Keep your bo dy str aight and in alignmen t the whole ti me.

Breathing
i nhale o n the way down; exha le on the way up .

Poin ters
Always leave a repetitio n in reser ve, and try nor to do t his exercise
to fail ure. If yo u can do 3 reps, do 2 instead . If y OLI can do 12, do on ly
10 o r I I. You can always maximize your total reps by doing more
sets. For example, do a set of 5 banancira push-ups (even
though you co uld probably man age 7). Come down and
do a few coco rinha squ ats or stretches while you rest yo ur
sho ulde rs for a couple of m inutes, then go up and do
another set of 5 repetitio ns o f the banan eira pus h-up.
Repeat this who le seque nce fo r lO sets an d you've
achieved 50 repe titions of th e banaueira push-up (an d a
few hundred cocorinha squats in the bargain ), rather th an
half the amount you migh t m anage if yo u always do rhc
reps to failure for each set.
Note: As soon as your head touches the ground, push
up; if yo u hang aroun d down there resti ng weight on
your head , it is mu ch more difficult to push up .
 Th e Exe rci ses
'3
Safety n ote: Do not dive-bomb the ground with the top of your
head or you may injure your neck. Lowe r yourself slowly and steadily,
con centrating on your breathing. Ifyo u can't do a single bananeira
push-up, simply do a banane ira handstand and slowly lower your-
self until the crown o f your h ea d m akes contact with the floor.
'When th is happe ns drop your feet to the floor ge ntly and stand up.
Th e ac t of lowerin g your body weight in a co n trolled way will
in crease yo ur strength until you are ready for the full ban ane ira
pus h -up .

H ealth and Fitness Benef its

T his exerci se is super- effec tive fo r buildi ng powe r in your torso.
Your finge rs, arms, ches t , back, sho ulde rs, and abdominal m uscles
arc all worked , and ifyou pr act ice the banancira push- up faith fully
you will no tice improvem ents in your balance and in all cartwheel
and inverted moveme nts in capocira. T he ben efits o f this type of
p ush-up can ' t be ove rst ate d ; it's just an incredibly effec tive way of
incr easing yo ur upper-body stren gth.
10 4 CAP O E IR A COND IT ION IN G

35. Bana nei ra Leg St ret ch

Fl exi b ili ty -stretch. Stren gth. Balance.

M ovement
D o a banan cira an d drop your legs to eit her side, H old the posi-
tion fo r 6 to 10 deep breaths.

Breathi'W
Regular deep nasal breathing .

Poin ters
H old your body stab le and don't lean to o ne side. As yo u exh ale,
feel yo ur legs op ening wider as yo u relax the m uscles, T ry to hold
the positio n for a co uple of minutes if yo u can .

H ealth and Fitness Benefi ts

T his will stretch the m uscles Of YOU f inn er th igh and groin, giving
you greater flexibility for various capocira kicks. The handstand will
also increase st rength in yo ur uppe r body.
 The Exe rci se s 105

"

.... ,
" " .
. .'.".;
10 6 CA POEIRA COND I T IO N I NG

36 . Queda de Rins
Strength . Balance.

Movement
Do the au warm-up (No . 24). Drop down slowly unti l yo ur waist
or hip bone is resti ng on yo ur inside elb ow. The fingertips of th e
support hand o n which yo u are resting will be facing bac kward,
away from your body. Bring in both k nees until your body weight
is resting o n your sup port elbow, H o ld th e position fo r a co up le
of deep breaths and th en push back up into the all warm -up posi-
tion (N o . 24 ) aga in. Flip over to th e other side in an all normal
(No . 25) and do the same th ing (qued a de rins) on th e o ther side,

Breathing
Breathe freely.

Pointers
Always war m up yo ur wrists before th is movem ent. Don 't allow
yo ur elbow to slip lip behind yo ur back, bu t keep it slotted right
into yo ur waist so that it can suppor t your weight. Whe n yo u do
t he q ueda de rins, brin g yo ur kne es toge ther and res t securely,
breathin g deep ly.

H ealth and Fitness Benefi ts

A good exercise for stre ng thening your wrists and for balance. The
stati c m ovem ent will train you r body for oth er types of au qu cda
de rin s that are often used in the game o f capoeira.
T he Exer cises 107
10 8 CA P O E I R A CON D IT ION I N G

37. Leg St retch Push-Ups

Flexibil ity -stretch . Stren gt h .

Movement
Ge t into th e regu lar cab ccada position (No.9 ). Lowe r yourself to
the botto m position of a push-up, at the sam e time swin ging one leg
o ut to the side along the ground. Rise up again and tak e th e leg
back. Lo wer again, swinging the o ther leg out to the side. Rise up,
brin ging it in o nce more. Repeat from side to side . As a variation of
this exercise and to maxim ize the di fficulty o f the weight resistance
(to increase strength and balance), each time yo u chan ge legs, put
th e arm that' s on th e sam e side as the outside leg behind your back
and do one-ann push -ups.

Breathini;
I nhale on the way down and exhale o n the way up.

Pointers
Touch yo u r ches t to the floor b u t don't lie on the floor. Swin g you r
leg out as far as it will go to maximize your stretch. Keep yo ur body
aligned and stable as yon move up and down in the push -up.

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

As with any push-up , this movement will wo rk your chest, sho ulde rs,
back, and ar ms. The side swing will also stret ch the inside of yo ur
legs.
The e xer cises
'9
110 CAP O EIR A C ON D IT IO N I N G

38 , Side Split Tw ist s

F lex.ibili ty- stretch.

M ovement
Sit on the floor and sprea d yo ur legs as widely as yo u can . Yo ur
roe s can be either pointed O llt to th e side or pointed at the ceiling .
Bend to one side and grab you r foot with both hands, keeping yo ur
chest pointing [0 th e front . Take 6 deep breaths and then com e up
slowly and stretch to the o ther side, repeating th e stretch .

Breathing
Deep nasal breathing.

Pointers
Try to pull back your toes ) push your heel s out, and lay your whole
torso along th e length of your leg, holdin g the foot with bo th hands
to increase the side st retch. Your ear can be lyin g o n yo ur shin by
th e en d of the co mplete d movem en t . Ease into the stre tch and
don't attempt to for ce yourself into a po sitio n by hunch ing over
forward o r forcing yourself beyo nd wha t is co mfortable. Breath -
ing will help enormously, and as yo u exh ale. feel your muscles soft -
ening so yo u fall further into the fully stretched-out side split twist .

H ealth and Fi tnessBenefi ts

T his is an effecti ve late ral srrerch for you r spine. It trims the waist.
T h is also stretches th e muscles at th e back of yo ur legs, increasing
yo ur range o f movement fo r kicks like q ucixada , armada , mar telo ,
chapa , an d so on.
The Exercises 111

"
112 CA P O E I R A CON DI T IO NI NG

39 Leg and Lower Back Stret ch

F lexibility-stretch.

Movement
Sit o n the floo r wit h your legs split o pe n as wide as you can com -
fo rta bly get th em. Keepin g yo ur chin up, slo wly walk yo ur hands tor-
ward , tr ying to tak e your navel to the gro und . I n the final stretch
yo ur whole tr unk, fro m navel to chin, will be resting fo rward on
th e gro und , with yo ur ar ms o utstretch ed in fron t of yo u .

Breathing
D ee p na sal breat hing. Allo w g ravity to hel p you as yo u ima gine
your lower back and inner thighs so ftening , sinking farther forward
as yo u exhale fully,

Pointers
T ry not to h unch over fo rward in all attempt to ge t your fore head
to the floor. Keep a totally positive atti tu de and re member that with
practice and correct for m, you will be able to achieve stre tches that
at first may seem beyo nd your reach. Don't st rain with this exer-
cise. Forget the idea of " no pain, no gain ." Work fo rward rathe r
than downwa rd a nd never forc e th e stretch until you feel un com -
forta ble pain .

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

A great Kill-body stretch for your lower back, upper back. legs, and
ch est. As with th e side split twists (No . 38 ), t his will increase flex-
ibility fo r a wid e range of capoeira techniques.
T he Exercises 113
114 CA PO EI R A CONDI T I O N IN G

40. Cobra Runn ing

Strength. Cardio. Fat Burner.

Movement
Go into th e lowest positio n of a regular push -up, maintaining good
form with your back straight and head in alignmen t with your spine.
Do not rest the chest o n the ground fo r support. While mai ntain-
ing t his positio n, run in place on your to es fo r 10 or 20 steps, the n
stop and pu sh up.

Breathing
Breathe freely.

Pointers
Run rapidly, keep your elbows in , and don 't bang your chin on the
ground . T his can be effectively co mbined with a no cheat br idge
(N o. 20). (See th e Wor kout Men u.)

H ealth and Fitness Benefits

T his is go od card io vascu lar training and is st rengthening for your
chest, arms, legs, lungs, and heart . It builds speed an d springiness
in the legs and arms.
The e xer cises 115

....
,.
116 CAP OE IR A CON D I T I O N I NG

41 , Ben<;ao
Flexibility-stretch . Strength. Balance.

Mov ement
This is a fro nt kick delivered from a g inga. T he kicking leg is back
in a ginga, then th e back leg is raised , with the knee hig h and directly
in fro nt of the body, The arms co me our to th e sides, with the hands
relaxed and o pe n. To execu te th e kick, th rust forward with th e hips
and stra ighten out the kicking leg simultan eo usly, drawing the toes
back so tha t the kickin g surface is the sole o f the foot. On ce you
have thrust for wa rd to yo ur maximu m degree while maintaining
good. bala nce, retu rn the kicking foot to the rear, ori gin al pos ition,
gin ga, and then be ncao with the oth er leg .

Breathing
Exhale as yo u kick for ma ximu m power an d balance; otherwise
brea the freely d uring the ginga seage.
 T he Exercis es 117

Pointers
Drive yo ur hips upward and forward after yo u have raised the knee.
K<."Cp your supporting foot flat on the gro und. Yo u can do this kick
fast an d repeat it for multiple reps, or do it in slow motion to increase
your balance and work o n co ntroll ing your raised kicking leg with-
out hopping about, but remaining rooted and stab le on your sup-
parr leg.

H ealth and Pitness Benefits

This will increase your balance and gives a good. wor ko ut to th e
hips and lower back. It also exercises t he abd om inal muscles, which
arc used to stabilize the bo dy in the kicking pos ition. The abs arc
th e hinge between the upper and lower bo dy, and many fast -paced
b ut cont rolled reps or a slow and co ncentrated static cont ro l while
in the kicking positio n will work the abs.
 Chapter 4

Questions and Answers

How o ften can I t rain?

Yo u can do capoeira co nditioning train ing every day. There's no th-
ing in the whole sched ule that can' t be done bac k-to-beck on an
every day of the week basis if that's what you feel like .

What and how sh o uld I ea t ?

A!; with any fitness program you' ll have mu ch more energy if you eat
healthy food in the right combinatio n. Some good ideas arc to:
II W ait abou t f o ur hours between meals.

Wait a round 60 t o 90 m inutes af ter ea t ing before you do

capoeira condit io ning exerci ses.

II Eat plent y of f ru it and veget ables. About five por t ion s a day
are recommended. Wh en it 's conven ient, try not t o mix
co nce nt rat ed starch and protein at t he sa me mea l, as that w ill
ma ke you sluggish. Mea t an d potatoes ta ste great t ogethe r,
but you're go ing to know about it when yo u t ry bridge
w alking after lunch. Avoid processed f ood and sugary dri nks
li ke soda. Try not t o eat t oo much sugar, especially before
t raining .

Drink plenty of w ate r, preferably 8 g lasses (64 oz.) a day.

119
120 CAPO E I RA CO N D IT IO N ING

Dr ink bef o re you eat or at least half an hou r afte r yo u've

e at en. If yo u fe e l w ilt ing a nd fat ig ued, it migh t be t hat yo u'r e
not d rin king eno ugh water, so put wate r at t he to p of yo ur
pri or ity li st . It is a good habit to drink at least o ne pin t of
w ate r upon waking in t he mo rning.

Incidentally, o n the su bject o f food for ph ysical performance,

th ere is amp le evid ence t hat red ucin g o r even eliminating meat
fro m th e diet altoget he r can have ove rall benefits fo r health and
recover y after exercise. Fish is easier to d igest and lower in sat u-
rated fat than red meat. O ily fish like salmon or tro ut give a good
su pply o flo ng-chain o mcga-3 farry acid s, which are viral for ma in-
t aining a h ealthy ce ntra l nervo us syste m . Vegetarian so ur ces of
o me ga-S can be ga ined fro m flax seeds and waln uts . T he list of
world class athle tes who arc. vegeta rian o r veg an is long an d disti n -
g uished. Both end ura nce an d power athletes are represented .
At his ath letic peak, mu lti -gold -medal-winning Olympic sprinter
and long jum per C arl Le wis was a vega n (meaning he ate no me at ,
fish, cheese, milk, butter, or eggs). He remains a vegan today. Hawai-
ian Dr. Ruth H eid rich, at 70 years of age . is still a supcrfit co mpeti-
tor and age -gro llp reco rd holder at th e finish line of the g rueling
Iro nman Triathlo n. She is also a vegan . Triathlon legend and six-rime
Iron man Triathlo n win ner D ave Sco tt is a vega n. Tenni s champion
Marti na Na vratilova was an d is a vegan . Wo rld T ram poline cham-
pio n and U.S. national cha m pio n gy nUlast D an Millman is a vegan.
Po wer athletes and wo rld class bod ybuild ers Bill Pearl an d Albert
Beckles arc bo th vege tarian . Incredibly, Beckles, who was bo rn in
1930, co ntinued to win top-class pro fessional ch ampionships into the
199 05 o n a vegeta rian d ie t . If th at isn 't lo ngevity in sport , then
nothin g is. In the fighting ar ts, Ridgely Abele, wilmer of eig ht U .S.
n atio nal cham pionshi ps in karate , is a vegetarian .
 Qu estio ns and A nswer s 121

Althou gh it is perfectly possible to eat a healthy diet contain -

in g a moderate quan tity of meat, it is also a fact that many well-
controlled scientific st udies done on vegetar ian group s such as
Seventh Day Adventi sts have consistently demonstrated a reduce d
risk of obesity, heart disease, hype rtension (high blood pressure),
stroke, arthritis, and certa in typ es of can cer among vegans and
vegetarians. If you do decid e to go vegetarian , m ake sure yo u eat
a b alanc ed , vari ed die t with p lenty o f green, le afy veget able s,
legum es, nu ts, grains , and protein products like soy milk or tofu .
As lo ng as you don 't overdo it on th e dairy products, a vegetar-
ian d iet ensures an imme d iate drop in dietary saturate d fat , which
is a gift: to your he art.
Raw fru it and vege table ju ice is a health y option too and you
can always d um p a couple of spoonfuls of soy powder, to fu, tahini,
or nu t butte r in the re if yo u want to fo rtify them with protein. To
retain all the fiber in juice sm oo thies, peel and core fruits like apples
and pe ars and usc the whole fr uit in the blender, added to froze n
bananas, frozen blueberries, strawberries, avocados, vegetable juices,
barley ma lt, or soy milk. T he list of goodies is end less and will give
you an incredible energy boost if dr unk a ha lf hour or so before
capoeira conditioning training. If you train hard regularly you might
also try a dai ly m ulti vitamin and mineral tablet and an iro n and B-
vitamin suppleme nt . T his is also true for nonvegetarians who are
involved in regular active ph ysical training. T he bottom line is that
the combinatio n of re gu lar exercise an d a healthy diet is th e best
health insurance you can get .

Will I lose weight?

If you d o capo eira conditio ning regularly an d eat sensibly then
you'll bmn a lot more calories than if you do nothing, let 's put it that
122 ( APOE IR A CO N D I T I O NI NG

way. Check out the: fat burners in th e Training Effec ts Chart for
accelerated calo ric co nsump tion.

Will capoeira conditioni ng impro ve my sex life?

Yes. (O nly joking . T hat's up to yo u.)

H ow long should I train every day?

H ow fit do yo u want to be? Fifteen minutes a d ay is a minimum
and will bu ild and mai ntain a reaso nable level of conditionin g . If
th at is wha t you have time fe r, th en we wouJd suggest that 15 mi n-
utes ofcapoeira conditioning is a more holis tic and well-ba lanced
exercise investment than 15 minu tes running or weigh t training .
If you can find time to do longer sessions, say a 30- or 45-min ure
session once or twice a week, that will also be great for your fitness
gains . Remembe r, six days of nothing will no r be replaced effec-
tively by one and a half hours' train ing o n the seventh day. Regu -
larity is the best , and ] 5 minu tes of varied capoeira co nditioning
per day is en ough to kee p the machine tickin g.

Can I get as st rong doing capo eira conditionin g as I

can d oing w eight training or bo dybuildin g?
Streng th is relative to what you want. If yo u wan t to ben ch-press
400 poun ds, then you'll have to do something additional to capoeira
co nditioning . I f yo u want to hand le yo ur body weigh t well in dif-
ferent positio ns, to be su pple , agile, st ro ng but also fluid , well-
balanc ed , an d aerobically fit, t hen yo u can cer tainly get as mu ch
from capocir a condi tioni ng as from bodybuilding.

I am 45 years o ld and I haven' t trained since I was

in my 20s. Can. I d o this?
Abso lutely. You h ave eve ryt hing to gain and n o thi ng to lose by
 Quest ions a nd Answe rs 12 3

beginning immediately. Remem be r to co nsult your physician before

you start this exercise pro gram an d then begin slowly with the 7VJ -
min ute sessio ns do ne at a steady "aero bic" pace. You will be amazed
at your progress and how much be tter yo u feci after 3 few weeks of
these exercises. Mestre Pastinh a, one of th e legends of capoeira, was
still incredibly lithe, slim, an d fit as a fiddle when he was in his 70s .

So m e o f the exercises look impossible.

Is capo eira r eally for m e?
Stick to the exe rc ises yo u feel comfor ta ble with . As yo ur bod y
loosens up , your strength will increase (as well as your confide nce)
and you will find you will wa nt to sneak in so me of the ex ercises
that look unus ual (and there aren 't that man y of rh osc ). O ne by
o ne )'OU will see ho w th e " impossible" beco mes possibl e.

C an chi ldren d o th is stuff?

Yes, child re n love stan ding on their ha nds (ban ancira }, cartwhe els
(au), and bridging. Ju st watch ali t fo r the furniture an d yo ur knick-
knacks. Stiffness and postu ral problems set in early in t hese days of
IV and co mpute r games, so working their bodies through a range
of narural mo vemen ts is one of the finest th ings children can do to
grow up healthy, strong, and well.

What about music?

D o th ese exe rcises to m usic, definitely. Purists ma y wan t to st ick
M estre Io ao G rand e o r Mestre Som bre into their H 'od, b ut th ese
exercises are fun to do to any m usic, an d as capocira is a figh t-dance -
game that is done to mu sic, go for it.
 A bout t he Aut hor

Gerard Taylor is one of the first gen erati on of no n-Brazilian sru -

dents who have benefited tro rn capoeira's establishment in Euro pe.
After having been totally sold on the fitness boom of the late 1970s,
he fi rst heard o f cnpoei ra in the m id 1980s a.n d began training in
Britain's first capoe irn school, The Lo ndo n School o f Capoeira , in
1989. He trained three to fou r times a week with Master Sylvia Baz-
zarelli and Con tra Maste r Ma rcos Dos Santos for the next seven
years, before movi n g to O slo , No rway, where he co -founded the
O slo Capo eira Klub b with Agnes Pol kcsrad , anoth er of the LSC 's
stud ents. Since 1996 T aylo r has ta ught capceira classes and work-
shops to th o usan ds o f people o f all ages and many nationa litie s.
From this experience he has developed a reaching and fi tness met hod
that wo rks effecti vely for adu lts and children alike.
Capoeira Conditi oning is T aylor 's seco nd book abo ut thi s pop-
ular martial art. H is first book, Canoeire: The l ogo de Ang olaf rom
Luanda to Cyberspace, Volum e O ne ( North Atl antic Books , 2005),
is a comprehensive histo ry of capoeira, tr acin g: irs fo und at io ns in
central African martial t raditions to its d evelo pment into a fight-
ing art in co lonial Bra zil. Volu me T wo , to be pu blished by Blue
Snake Books in 2006, w ill detai l capoci ra's transition int o Brazil's
natio nal sport and its explosive growth worldw ide .
Since th e late 1970s Gerard has worked in various fields of jour-
nalism and copywriting, includ ing for th e Fo u ndation for African

125
126 CAP O E IR A CO ND I T I ON I N G

Arts, an d as No rt hern Ireland ed itor for the Bla ck Voice newspa-

per. More recently he has written text for theatre co mpanies in Lon -
don and fo r Apple Records on the Bearlesl o fficial web site. He is
also finalizing work on a vegetarian and vegan cookbook, and has
recently fi nished an encyclo pedic history of Los Angeles and San
Francisco punk rock mus ic.